


Unexpected Events

by Caleili



Category: The Last Remnant
Genre: Bromance, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Male Friendship, Minor Character Death, No Slash, Psychological Horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-16
Updated: 2014-06-16
Packaged: 2017-12-06 00:12:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 36,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/729467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caleili/pseuds/Caleili
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU, set after the visit to the God Emperor. One altered event, no matter how simple is all it takes, and the whole world changes in response. David learns one sleepless night that Rush has been keeping a far deadlier secret than Marion's Blessing, and both must deal with the consequences.<br/>Dark truths are revealed and long buried power rediscovered, but at a terrible cost. Allegiances will be tested and friendships strained to breaking point. The Remnant's true purpose will finally be known and an ancient prison waits to be opened...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Sleepless Night

**Author's Note:**

> I originally posted this fic on FanFiction (dot) net, and I've finally got around to putting the first few chapters up here! So far there are fifteen chapters and eventually they will all end up on here. I hope you enjoy it. :D  
> Disclaimer: Kirara doesn't own The Last Remnant, or any of it's wonderful characters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic has now been edited! I’ve gone through it with a fine toothcomb, looking for mistakes and adding bits to existing scenes, so please let me know if you spot a mistake I missed. Flamers, don't bother reviewing if you don't properly explain what it is you don't like, and most importantly, WHY you don't like it. I can’t improve it if you don’t explain what you think is wrong.
> 
> On a side note, all previous fics that still need to be continued are on temporary hiatus, mostly from lack of inspiration for them. Chasing Shadows might be discontinued or rewritten, depending on if I can rewrite it to my satisfaction, because my characterisation and reasoning really needs some work in that fic.
> 
> Disclaimer: Kirara doesn't own The Last Remnant, or any of it's wonderful characters. The only thing she does own is a fussy rat who thinks he's human, and many, many plot bunnies of various sizes and degrees of madness.
> 
> P.S - R.I.P Gabriel, who passed in his sleep at the ripe old age of three in 2011.
> 
> February 2013 – Ch.1 rewrite complete!

**Unexpected Events**

 

It was night and David Nassau, the young Lord of Athlum was wandering the halls of Athlum castle, clad in only a night shirt and dressing gown. Moonlight slanting in through the windows painted everything in silver and black, the shadows stretching out, cold and uninviting.

In the glow of the full moon David seemed transformed, more like a ghost than a man with bronze skin bleached milk white, golden hair gilded in silver and eyes hollow pits of weariness. His bare feet made no sound as they sank into the plush carpet, carrying their owner in his aimless walk.

Shuffling down the long corridor David's shoulders drooped, head tilted towards the ground in contemplation and sleepless exhaustion. Even now in the dead of night, his thoughts still plagued him.

The lingering pain of Emma's ultimately futile death resurfaced in his nightmares, driving away any chance at restful sleep. Even in daylight hours her absence hurt, part of him still expecting to see her sparring with Torgal, hear that hint of motherly affection when she thought he’d been working too long and needed a break.

Another common theme that disturbed his sleep was the last moment of Wilfred Hermeien’s life. A once proud arrogant man transformed into a snivelling coward before the cruel, merciless gaze of the Conqueror. The almost casual way the monster had crushed Hermeien’s skull still send a shiver of fear down his spine. The memory of the Conqueror’s crimson power ripping Hermeien’s body into an unrecognisable fleshy mess haunted David’s nightmares.

Often the dream would continue past that point, warping David’s memories and producing violent images of his companions deaths, some so horrific he’d wake in a cold sweat with barely enough time to reach his water closet.

His conscience had also taken a beating in the last few weeks, for he’d been unable to send aid to Nagapur due to the Conqueror’s army cutting off trade routes. David had seen the level of destruction inflicted upon Nagapur and he could only imagine the suffering her people were going through. In truth there had been nothing he could have done anyway, his people barely getting away from the city with the Conqueror’s troops combing the countryside behind them.

More recently the group had been summoned to Undelwalt, which had been a revealing experience to put it mildly. David could still barely comprehend the existence of a living, breathing Remnant, never mind that it bore the appearance of a Mitra!

On the return route they were escorted all the way back by a unit of the God Emperor’s personal guards, which gave them safe passage through the blockades. Without them they would have had to rely on Rush’s knowledge of the new ( _and dangerous_ ) trade route through the Gaslin caves to the Sandsea.

Having sent messengers to the Lords upon his return bearing the Emperor’s decree David worried about whether the nobles would actively seek to uphold it, a potentially crippling blow to any move against the Conqueror.

Marina Sykes meanwhile was looking for another Ark to get them safely to the Sacred Lands where rumour said the Conqueror was staying, but had so far had no luck. The last message she’d sent hinted at her investigating an outlying section of the Siebenbur paths. How the woman was able to slip past the Conqueror’s blockades was a mystery, but David wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. All they could do in the mean time was wait, and this delay was very trying on everyone's patience.

David knew they only had a limited window of opportunity to stop the Conqueror before his plans were complete and though they didn't know what those plans were, they were sure to be bad news for everyone.

Worse still, ever since the Koenigsdorf bases David’s Remnant had been acting up, not appearing when he called her and sometimes forcing him to summon her when there was no need. Sinking claws into his brain she would _**scream**_ to be let out, the ex machina forming in his hand involuntarily against the most innocuous foes. After such episodes he felt terribly drained, and acting as though nothing was wrong became a tedious chore, but a necessary one in such troubling times. The near continuous headache certainly didn’t help.

With such a busy mind it was no surprise he couldn't sleep at night.

Pulling out of his thoughts before they could drown him, David focused tired eyes on the door in front of him, and frowned as he realised he had no idea where he’d wandered to. He was obviously still in the residential wing of the castle, the décor around him attested to that, but as to whose door he was standing in front of like an idiot? He didn't have a clue.

About to turn and head back to his own cold and uninviting bed, he stopped when he noticed a band of light extending from under the door. It wasn't moonlight, so that must mean someone else was awake at this ungodly hour. Studying the line of light with an intensity only the sleep deprived could manage, he frowned.

He didn't want to get caught spying, but there was just something very odd about that light. It didn't flicker like candlelight, nor was it a steady glow like the phosphorescent crystal lamps found in most rooms. Instead it seemed to ripple like water, changing colour slightly as he watched.

Curiosity winning over possible embarrassment at getting caught, David twisted the handle and eased open the door as quietly as he could, coming upon a scene that would have been more at home in a fairytale.

The whole room was filled with a soft glow, golden-white light rippling along the walls and ceiling. The room was also much warmer than the corridor behind him, causing him to shiver as he realised just how cold he was. Stepping further into the room, the warm air enveloping his form, David looked for the source of the light, and it left him speechless with shock.

He knew whose room he had stumbled upon now.

Lying curled up in bed sound asleep was Rush, the talisman on his bedside table dark and silent. Despite being partially buried beneath a thick duvet, David could easily see the outline of the teen's body, for _he_ was the source of the light. Rush's skin was glowing brightly, a pearlescent white-gold light which shone straight through the boy's thin nightshirt, shimmering over his whole body.

It wasn't all white though, as thin ripples of colour periodically appeared and dispersed, flickering in and out as they followed the contours of his body. The ripples were prismatic, like an opal catching the light, the colour would leap out for one brilliant instant before vanishing once more. Green, lilac, blue, pink, all those and more, of every shade imaginable ghosted over the boy's skin as he slept on, oblivious.

As if they had a mind of their own, David's feet moved towards the bed, the light playing softly over his features. Halting beside the bed David lifted one hand as though to reach out and touch but stopped himself, a shiver of unease travelling down his spine. Looking closer, he could vaguely make out the faint outline of strangely familiar runes shifting just under his friend's skin.

Shocked as David was, he didn't realise the significance of what he was seeing, still stuck on the fact that his friend was _glowing_ , which was a highly unusual occurrence when Rush wasn't using the talisman.

At least as far as David was aware.

Staring at Rush's face, he was struck by how eerily _beautiful_ he looked with that light rippling under his skin, but it **wasn't** the sort of beauty you would normally associate with a person.

The luminescent skin and shining hair just made him seem… inhuman, perfect in the way one might expect from a slumbering deity rather than a simple boy. It sent a chill down his spine even as the light and warmth seemed to soothe his weary body.

It didn't look right to David and wanting to reassure himself that this was _his_ Rush, that the light wasn’t hurting his friend he reached out and touched the teen's bare shoulder, meaning to shake him awake.

* * *

In retrospect it was a silly thing to do, a mistake he would never have made had he been rested and calm. However at the time he was anything but, with shock and lack of sleep clouding his common sense.

The moment his fingers contacted bare skin he had to choke back a cry, biting pain shooting up his arm, his hand feeling as though he'd just put it in a pot of boiling water. He tried to jerk away but was unable to move, frozen as the pain flooded through his nerves, spreading through his whole body.

Feeling as though he'd been dropped into a vat of boiling oil, starbursts of golden light exploded before his eyes as heat and power licked at his skin, like searing tongues of flame.

To David, it seemed like the world in front of him became enveloped in darkness, the floor tilting sickeningly before vanishing from under his feet as he was swept away on a tide of power. Overcome by the surge of burning agony, his body was unable to cope with the sheer volume of sensation and shut down to try and spare itself anymore pain.

Had anyone else been in the room, they would have been unable to explain the Marquise sudden loss of consciousness. One moment he was touching Rush's shoulder, the next he was a crumpled heap on the floor, the muscles of his hand twitching slightly as residual energy still scorched through his nerves.

Had they looked closer, they would have seen the light from the sleeping boy travel up David's arm and diffuse into his body in a split second, eyes clouding with a green tint before he collapsed. The boy in the bed didn't even shift in reaction to the touch, couldn't shift caught as he was in an unnatural sleep.


	2. Confusion of the Soul

** _Previously:_ **

_Had anyone else been in the room, they would have been unable to explain the Marquise sudden loss of consciousness. One moment he was touching Rush’s shoulder, the next he was a crumpled heap on the floor, the muscles of his hand twitching slightly as residual energy still scorched through his nerves._

_Had they looked closer, they would have seen the light from the sleeping boy travel up David’s arm and diffuse into his body in a split second, eyes clouding with a green tint before he collapsed. The boy in the bed didn’t even shift in reaction to the touch, couldn’t shift caught as he was in an unnatural sleep._

 

* * *

 

 David was completely unaware of his loss of consciousness, his mind and soul lost within another.

The first thing that struck him was, oddly enough, that he was naked. Well, not so much naked as bare. His clothes were gone, but how he was aware of that, he didn’t know.

He could feel his body, but looking down just showed a vague outline, blurry and indistinct like peering through frosted glass.

The second thing that struck him was the feeling of being immersed totally in something that pushed and pulled and dragged him along, like being underwater and caught in a strong current. It didn’t feel heavy like water though, it seemed to tingle on his skin almost like static electricity, and he certainly wasn’t in any risk of drowning, breathing coming easily.

Looking around him, he couldn’t see much. Everything was shrouded in an odd mist, and he was nearly blinded by an intense light that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. Drifting in eddies of the current surrounding him, David was at a loss as to how he had ended up here.

Indeed, he didn’t remember much of what happened the last few days. He remembered the older things and the important details like the war against the Conqueror, but everything else was a blur, just as obscured by mist as his surroundings.

Abruptly the current strengthened, pulling him along with much greater force. Buffeted by the swirling energy all around him he started to see shapes in the mist, indistinct at first, but jumping into sharp relief a second later.

More than a little confused by what he was seeing, David witnessed flashes of people and creatures, a parade of images where their forms seemed to hang, suspended in the seething maelstrom of light all around them. Some of them were clear and detailed, but many were blurred and indistinct, impossible to make out in the scant seconds they were there.

Following them were images, scenes of places seemingly frozen in time. They were like visistone pictures, but so much better at the same time, three dimensional and incredibly real.

Unlike the people these were all crystal clear, but they only lingered for an instant, barely long enough to get a brief impression before being whipped away like leaves in an autumn gale.

Some of the clear detailed images David recognised, like the tall, four-armed form of Torgal, the bustling market of Balterossa and the ivy covered walkways of Melphina but there were others he didn’t recognise.

A Mitra in gleaming silver armour with eyes so blue they glowed, in hand a strikingly familiar golden sword that rippled with light, runes burning brightly on its surface.

A beautiful female Mitra clothed in flowing blue silk with droplets of water suspended against the material, frozen in place like dewdrops on flower petals. Her eyes were as cold and dazzling as ice and her long pale hair was threaded through with glittering crystal.

A black Yama with shining golden eyes wearing iron grey robes, red flames dancing along the hems, muscles straining as he seemed to hold back an invisible force.

This seemed to go on forever, a constant parade of images. Struggling to latch onto anything familiar, David found himself pulled towards one image in particular, which lingered far longer than any of the others. It was a cliff top meadow covered in blooming wildflowers, looking down over a vast expanse of ocean. The sky was a breathtaking pallet of colours, the setting sun painting the sky in indigo, violet, red, orange and gold.

It was a scene he was sure he had never laid eyes on before, yet it felt… almost like home. Confused by this, but glad for the brief respite, David tried to place where the strange sense of warmth and familiarity was coming from.

As odd as it seemed, the feeling wasn’t coming from _him_ , it was coming from an outside source. He knew because he could still feel his own reaction to the scene. The other feelings were more like echoes, strong, but with an odd dissonance to them.

As though this revelation was the trigger, the scene fragmented before his eyes, exploding outwards with no warning, the light surrounding him growing even brighter than before. Almost like a delayed reaction, the echoes of emotion that should have accompanied the previous images hit him all at once.

Like a rampaging dragon they bombarded his senses, foreign emotions overwhelming the carefully constructed mental barriers he’d used to control his own emotions for years. Love, sorrow, pain, fear, hate, joy, respect, contentment, satisfaction, they all invaded his soul and left his mind in _tatters_ , his head aching as though it were trapped in a slowly tightening vice.

Unable to stop them, all David could do was ride out the worst of it and pray it would end soon. After what felt like an age, the deluge of emotions finally seemed to be slowing.

Mind scraped raw from the torrent of foreign feelings, David didn’t see the light around him dimming, nor feel the random currents of power pulling him along weakening until they reached a standstill. His only thought for the pounding headache behind his eyes, he never noticed something move within the dimming light.

* * *

Buried deep beneath the memories and emotions, something stirred. Shifting slightly, it stretched as much as it was able, it’s insubstantial essence taking on form and substance as it woke. Lethargy making it sluggish it took a moment to realise it was awake, having been locked in slumber for years.

The weight of more than a dozen thick spell chains still bound it, burning wherever they touched, their blue-white power looking deceptively gentle even as they held it painfully tight. The tattered edge of it’s essence was still raw from where it had been split from the rest of it’s soul, even after so many years.

Realising something had woken it, it felt a spark of excitement even as the chains grew tighter at the thought, maybe this was a chance to free itself!

Fighting through the suffocating fog of magic induced sleep, the creature grasped desperately for what it once was, unwilling to let itself forget again in magical slumber.

The entity had no name, for it’s True Mother never had the chance to give it one before it was sundered, having once been part of a bright newborn soul. It was ancient knowledge, power and the need to protect those it claimed; animal instinct honed to near lethal perfection.

Now it was split, bound within the other part of it’s own spirit and kept separate only by those infernal chains, crafted by a young woman in a moment of fear and longing.

Reaching out it felt for the presence that woke it and found something intriguing, something… new, a human soul drifting aimlessly through the other half of it’s spirit. It could sense the soul’s confusion, it’s weakness... but also the mouth watering scent of life within it.

All too aware of it’s _own_ weakened condition the creature realised what an opportunity that lost soul presented. With an enormous effort, it pushed up against the chains that had bound it since shortly after it had been found within the Sacred lands.

Putting all it’s being into the effort, it heaved like it never had before. Again and again it fought its bindings, it’s power and remaining strength bleeding away with each attempt.

Desperate to escape it’s chains, it put all it’s strength into one last _monumental_ effort and finally broke free, the thick links of blue-white power shattering under the strain.

Spreading out, it began the process of rejoining with its other half, feeling positively giddy with its new freedom before searching for the one that had disturbed it. It couldn’t let this intrusion go unexploited and for the first time in it’s life, it felt the deep stirrings of an insatiable hunger, a primal instinct to consume everything not claimed by it, to rectify it’s own shameful weakness with the fount of life giving energy that soul contained.

That stumbling animal had no idea how unlucky it was, to be so close and utterly defenceless when the creature had such need it ached for a taste...

That ill fated human would be the one that would help to sate the raging hunger that grew within it. It wouldn’t be enough, yet it would be wasteful to finish it in one bite, when it could draw things out a bit and savour the experience...


	3. The Sundered Beast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Ok, new chapter time! This one will come with a minor WARNING, so take note. There will be quite a bit of David torture/torment in this one, and I hope I explained it clearly enough just why David is nearly terrified out of his skin in this one. Do not complain that he is OOC without taking into account that we never really see him truly scared in the game, and then place yourself in his position in this chapter. Ask questions and I shall answer, either in a pm for signed reviews or on my profile for anon reviews.

_ Previously _

_Spreading out, it began the process of rejoining with its other half, feeling positively giddy with its new freedom before searching for the one that had disturbed it. It couldn’t let this intrusion go unexploited and for the first time in it’s life, it felt the deep stirrings of an insatiable hunger, a primal instinct to consume everything not claimed by it, to rectify it’s own shameful weakness with the fount of life giving energy that soul contained._

_That stumbling animal had no idea how unlucky it was, to be so close and utterly defenceless when the creature had such need it ached for a taste..._

_That ill fated human would be the one that would help to sate the raging hunger that grew within it. It wouldn’t be enough, yet it would be wasteful to finish it in one bite, when it could draw things out a bit and savour the experience..._

 

* * *

 

Unaware of any of this, David had finally noticed that he wasn't being pulled along or bombarded by foreign emotions or images. Uneasiness coiling in his gut, he looked around, noting the growing darkness with mixed relief and suspicion.

Reaching tentatively into the recesses of his throbbing mind, he felt for the familiar form of Kellendros, wanting the reassurance of her powerful presence now that he was clear headed enough to do so. Finding she had retreated to the depths of his mind radiating defensive wariness left him more than a little shocked. She was usually an overpowering presence, a being of mocking laughter and overflowing confidence in her own ability. To see her so uneasy and cowed shook him to the core.

Before he could reach out to her, something hit him with all the force of a charging colossus. Shocked and winded, David gasped for breath as he floundered in the stagnant energy that still surrounded him. Looking around wildly David could see nothing in the dim light, but after a moment he realised he could certainly _sense_ something. A feeling of menace, of excitement, anticipation and _hunger_ rolling off an unseen presence in waves as it stalked closer.

Like a hungry wolf with a young rabbit it circled him, eager to devour the tiny creature that had intruded on it's domain. Unable to get away from it and unable to even _see_ it, David couldn't suppress his mounting fear as he felt it close in around him.

That was the worst part, he knew he wouldn't normally be this afraid, but mentally battered as he was, he couldn't fight off the influence of the creature, whose suffocating presence was tugging at that base instinct that made him shake with fear. The emotions inspired by it were nothing like the echoes of emotion he had felt before. Indeed, they were weak and flimsy in comparison.

The feelings pounding at him were overwhelming, stronger than anything he had ever experienced… No, he _had_ actually seen one thing that had frightened him this badly before.

He had been ten years old, and visiting Nagapur with his father. While they were there, a terrible storm had formed some miles off the coast, and had made landfall near Nagapur on their last day there.

People had called it a hurricane and he could remember seeing it from a distance. Enormous black clouds boiled upwards and outwards in a huge spiral, tremendous winds tore everything they touched apart, even ripping up the very earth. The sound had been unbelievable, a deafening howl even from miles away, and he remembered shaking with fear and awe that something that powerful could exist outside of the Remnants.

The feeling of power coming off the presence was the same, though it lacked the sense of unfocused rage that the storm had inspired. If anything, that focus made it all the more frightening, knowing that something that strong, that vastly powerful and deadly was only interested in him, and that he was helpless against it.

The thing that made him truly fear for his life was how it _perceived_ him. He could feel that to it he was a very _welcome_ intruder, one that sparked excitement and hunger akin to a starved cat finding a wounded bird. It’s desire was like a palpable thing, ravenous gaze raking over his body. He was a juicy mouse to be hunted down and caught, an interesting morsel to be _devoured_ at leisure.

* * *

Though all people fear death, for some reason the idea of becoming prey to another creature, to be killed and eaten by another being is an altogether abhorrent and terror inspiring thought.

It is an instinctual throwback to the time when people were little more than beasts, and hunted as food by many creatures. Being eaten alive is even worse, and an all too real danger when pitted against huge beasts such as dragons, wyverns and even the larger spiritlords.

In the wake of defeat, lying beaten and bloodied but still alive, it is the utter helplessness to prevent the act which torments you with your weakness, and poor David honestly didn't know which the creature intended, leaving the young man trembling as he desperately fought the terror that welled up in his soul.

Feeling small eddies in the power around him, David saw the light surrounding him grow even darker, a green tinge bleeding through it. Shaking, the frightened soul literally felt the creature studying him, pulling him in all directions at once before pressing even closer and moving over his form, sifting through his hair and stroking down his back, exploring him with rough excitement.

Lashing out wildly David felt his arm meet resistance, striking something firm within the dimness. For the first time since he noticed it, he saw something shifting beyond himself.

He couldn't make out much, but he could tell it was huge in comparison to his own small form, a vast dark shadow that seemed to boil like thunder clouds. It seemed to be constantly shifting and changing, vague outlines that one moment looked like feathers, another scales then fur. Like it couldn’t decide what it wanted to be so it kept shifting, a kaleidoscope of creatures flickering over it’s surface.

Sensing it's irritation at his feeble resistance, he was almost expecting the crushing force as it surrounded him completely, the dim light vanishing into utter blackness. The eerie feeling of thick fur-covered muscle ( _that did not change to feathers or anything else_ ) pinned his limbs with laughable ease as he strained to make out anything in the darkness, struggling against it and getting nowhere.

What was even stranger was that though he felt it's strength bearing down on him, as real as any beast one might encounter in the wild, he felt no warmth from it and heard no heartbeat. Indeed touching it chilled him to the core, leaching the warmth from him as he struggled.

For all his combat experience, all his training from the best fighters Athlum had to offer, he was weak and powerless before this beast. He didn't know what to do, didn't know if there _was_ anything he could do, and that frightened him even more.

One of the things he had relied on most in his life was the control he had over himself and most other situations. He always kept a cool head in trying situations, always had a plan and had his generals to be his support when facing any danger.

Right now he had none of that. He had no idea where he was or how he got there, no weapon at hand and no people to call on for help.

His mind was in shambles, he was at the mercy of a creature that he could barely see, only really feel and all he could do was lie trapped and shaking with cold and fear as it examined him, _tasted_ him.

Terrified beyond reason David shuddered when he felt scorching, humid breath gusting over his body ( _a startling contrast to the cold it seemed to radiate_ ), the horribly real feeling of knife-like predatory teeth scraping over his back and chest with bruising force, the flat planes and sharp ridges leaving reddened skin and bloody scrapes behind.

The heat seemed to engulf him, reminding him vividly of a sauna. The damp air was making his hair stick uncomfortably to his face while David struggled to control his own breathing, his eyes wide and the pupils dilated in fear.

The invisible teeth shifted from his chest, drifting down, gripping and pulling at his legs before moving back up his body and teasingly nipping at the skin of his throat with remarkable delicacy.

His arm was seized next and pulled taut, wrist slowly squeezed between two ridged edges to the point where he thought it would break. While this was happening one dagger pointed tooth was digging painfully into the soft skin above his collarbone, piercing through skin and flesh with agonising slowness.  Unable to keep silent any longer, David let out a tiny moan of fear, swallowing a whimper as his arm was released, teeth sliding free of torn skin.

Several precious seconds of reprieve passed before they returned, the razor edges ghosting across his neck, light as a feather, not even a twinge of pain left by their passing. Almost caressing, the inner curve of one long canine glided softly against the side of his throat before vanishing, the gentleness even more terrifying than the previous painful force.

Praying it was over yet knowing the worst was yet to come, David tried to turn, and was awarded for his effort by blistering heat edged with sharpened teeth engulfing most of his body. The edges sliced painfully into his shoulders and the tops of his legs as a deep unearthly growl vibrated through his whole body.

Freezing, terror shot down his spine like a lightning bolt, electrifying his nerves and sending his heart racing so fast it felt it might burst. Feeling physically sick at the mind-numbing fear that raged through his body, he forced himself to go limp, knowing nothing good could come from struggling.

Finally the growl tapered off, the creature slowly relaxed it's jaws, releasing him from their punishing grip. Pressed against soft fur once more, David sought to calm the terror that still sang through his blood, to slow the great heaving gulps of air his body demanded as he shook and strived to regain control of his fear riddled psyche.

His effort was wasted as the creature accosted him again, nudging David onto his front before what felt like warm damp sandpaper rasped painfully over torn skin.

A single swipe from that impossibly rough tongue covered the entire surface of his back and legs, reinforcing the idea that this thing was more than large enough to eat him in one bite. Feeling ill and lightheaded, David was just waiting for the rough exploration to end, expecting at any moment for the unseen creature to bite down with lethal force on his fragile form, or to just swallow him whole.


	4. Frightful Realisation

_ Previously _

_Finally the growl tapered off, the creature slowly relaxed it's jaws, releasing him from their punishing grip. Pressed against soft fur once more, David sought to calm the terror that still sang through his blood, to slow the great heaving gulps of air his body demanded as he shook and strived to regain control of his fear riddled psyche._

_His effort was wasted as the creature accosted him again, nudging David onto his front before what felt like warm damp sandpaper rasped painfully over torn skin._

_A single swipe from that impossibly rough tongue covered the entire surface of his back and legs, reinforcing the idea that this thing was more than large enough to eat him in one bite. Feeling ill and lightheaded, David was just waiting for the rough exploration to end, expecting at any moment for the unseen creature to bite down with lethal force on his fragile form, or to just swallow him whole._

* * *

That wasn’t to be his fate however, as something was holding back the creature’s incessant urge to devour, a niggling sense of familiarity that made the creature pause its violent ministrations. It knew this soul somehow, despite having never tasted it before.

Buried deep within the soul, beneath the link to the intimidated yet angry presence of a bound Sister was the faintest trace of something it knew very well, a trace of it’s own power. It was a mark of close, prolonged contact with a single being, residual energy that seeped beneath the skin given enough time and proximity.

This one _was_ known to it, or rather known to it’s other half, but that recognition was slow in coming, tiny shards of memory from the join only beginning to filter through the healing link. A growing sense of concern building in it’s mind, it searched through fragmented memories, the process of rejoining its splintered soul still far from complete.

Finding many memory fragments with this little soul, the being was able to piece together a mostly complete memory, a collage of actions, words and thoughts with each a single moment of remembered time...and with sudden, startling clarity, it _knew_ just who it had been tormenting so cruelly.

Now that one memory had been completed, others came in a veritable deluge, memories of laughter and sarcasm, patient smiles and fierce battles, a friendly touch and a helping hand.

That upwelling of knowledge washed away all urges to eat this frightened soul, making it feel truly sickened at what it had done and the being set about trying to soothe the pain it had caused.

Horrified by what it had originally intended to do, it trembled slightly, the influx of new emotion confusing and distressing with their intensity. It had never felt this way about anything before, never seen it’s own actions as being wrong, and never considered the pain and fear it inflicted as it tasted and played with the soul it had caught.

Staring at the quivering, bloodied form in it’s grasp, the being resonated distress, torn between the impulse to keep the now precious soul close or release it, fearful of causing it more harm. Thinking hard, the being realised that though it could heal the obvious wounds right now, the pain, fear and mental scars would remain.

It could do nothing about the emotional damage from the, in hindsight unprovoked attack; but it could remove it’s increasingly angered Kin and the pain they had/were both causing.

It couldn’t heal that damage where it was now however, it needed to take him deeper, to the purest part of it’s essence. Maybe once that was done David wouldn’t be quite so afraid...

* * *

 

Utterly confused, David could only tremble in shock as all the menace, hunger and lethal intent vanished from the creature still trapping him. Gone was the crushing strength and torment of fearsome jaws, replaced by the softest strokes of silken feathers, hesitant touches that patted lightly like cat’s paws and a gentle hum that soothed the raw abrasions.

It worked slowly over his chest and back, down his legs and up to his throat, ever so carefully nuzzling and smoothing over the deep cuts, each wound fading away under that tender care.

Unable to calm down, fear still running rampant through him David released a stifled whimper at the softness, not daring to look even as the pain diminished under the cool tickle of fur. Desperately wanting to get away from the creature, he was all too aware of what had happened before and what could come after the gentle touch.

Even more confused than before and feeling weak, cold and overwhelmed, David didn’t react when the presence released him and pulled back, sure it was a trick and that it would just catch him again, like a cat playing with a mouse.

Seeing it rippling, small sparks of emerald lightning dancing over it’s surface David curled in on himself, prepared for more pain. Sure enough it reached towards him again, curling round his body while the sparks tingled against his skin, it’s feelings hesitant but full of purpose yet still with no trace of malicious intent…

With David in it’s grasp again, the creature gathered itself and _twisted_ , the disconcerting feeling of being pulled down and through something, pressure building before...

The power which had supported David this whole time vanished, every scrap of light vanishing along with it as he was released him into a void of darkness and silence, a solid floor under him once more with no sign of the creature and no power to hold him aloft.

His heart still pounding in his chest, he spread his hands over the hard surface he lay on, relying on that touch to anchor his tattered mind, shuddering as the cold seemed to become even worse. Feeling his terror finally begin to drain away into exhaustion, he laid there, residual pain throbbing through his entire body. The persistent headache, which he’d all but forgotten about was swiftly building to a head splitting migraine behind his eyes.

Closing them against the darkness, David slowly and painfully tried to gather his scattered thoughts, fighting the urge to cringe as the pain beating against the inside of his skull swiftly increased. Without the overwhelming rush of terror, he could now identify the source of the mental ache and it was one he was very familiar with.

It was Kellendros, who appeared to have recovered from her earlier fear. She seemed to be having some kind of fit, screaming and flailing inside his mind, tearing at anything she could reach. Gasping as the pain soon became nearly unbearable, he opened his eyes again, feeling tears of agony slide down his cheeks.

Squinting in the darkness, his vision blurring, David thought he could make out something forming in the distance, bleeding out of the very air, the shadowy form growing brighter and more distinct as it disentangled itself from the surrounding blackness. Wiping the tears away with one unsteady hand he focused on the blurry, indistinct image before him, fear rekindling at the thought that the creature might still be out there.

As a fresh spike of pain shot through his skull, Kellendros shrieks reached new heights, as frustration and rage that wasn’t David’s own pounded through him. He could even make out what she was saying, which was normally impossible, her voice ringing through his head.

_“I don’t care if you want him Little Warden, you won’t have him! I showed weakness before, but not now. He’s MINE, not yours. I claimed him first, his soul is bound to me! His father was mine, as was his father before him. Eighteen generations of Nassau have been mine, mine to use, mine to consume, and I won’t let you take him. I’ll DESTROY him from the INSIDE OUT before I let you take him, and then I’ll consume what’s left!!”_

Accompanying the words came a vicious stab of pain, making his head feel like it was going to explode from the pressure. Shaky composure shot to pieces, he curled in on himself, a whine of pain escaping as he gasped for breath.

Silently begging the Remnant to stop, he was startled when she did just that, subsiding quickly as a warm, soothing presence crept over the confused and shaken Marquis. Lifting his head, he just stared at the thing before him, too mentally and emotionally drained to muster the feelings of shock and awe the sight would normally provoke.

Floating in the void barely six feet away was a spiral of soft golden light, pulsing gently, almost like a heartbeat. Threaded through the gold were streaks of soft mint green, both colours distinct but somehow blending seamlessly into the whole. Drifting closer, the spiral seemed to unfold before him, expanding into a complex web of interlocking strands, some of them reaching towards him.

Unable to move more than a few inches due to the deep throbbing ache in every muscle and the uncontrollable shivering, all David could do was lie there.

Too exhausted and spent to feel more than a faint thrum of fear, something in him recognised this being as the same creature from before, the feel of carefully restrained power identical to the beast.

Watching the strands begin to creep around his arms with hazy eyes, David expected pain or maybe that odd stroking sensation, but certainly not what happened next. The touch didn’t bring pain, heat or cold, in fact he barely felt it at all, the touch as light and soft as a feather.

Staring at it in exhausted confusion, he felt the strands tighten around his arms, the light wrapping itself round the Marquis in an instant, lifting him from the floor as it cocooned him completely, not giving him time to struggle against it.

As the light overcame his senses, David experienced the most unusual sensation. The feather soft touches of the strands seemed to melt away, only to be replaced with the feeling of... arms? Yes, arms wrapping gently around his shoulders, enfolding him in a feeling of comfort, a gentle heat easing his shivering and a tantalisingly warm scent filling his nose. It was a surprisingly familiar scent, a mix of warm summer air, fragrant mint and a slight hint of musk.

Relaxing involuntarily into the embrace, he found himself pulled back so that his head was pillowed against a flat chest, long legs resting on either side of him, feeling them press against his lower back and hips. With one arm already clasped snugly around his chest, he felt the other brush against his shoulder before a warm hand settled on his head, fingers carding softly through his hair.

He tried to fight it, abused mind reminding him that this was the same creature that had been threatening to eat him, but he just didn’t have the energy or the willpower. His body was still screaming at him and he was too tired, exhausted even, to muster even a half decent struggle. Besides that, the presence didn’t _feel_ dangerous anymore and it was so calming, his confusion and fear evaporating like morning dew.

The pain thrumming through his body even seemed to be decreasing, inflamed nerves and aching bones being soothed by the warming touch. Feeling Kellendros shift within him he tensed, expecting more pain, but it never came as the presence around him tightened, the fingers in his hair stilling mid stroke.

All David felt was a wonderful, penetrating heat suffusing through his scalp, spreading under his skin and trickling down his spine. It must have done something drastic to his Remnant however for she gave a muted shriek and retreated swiftly until he could barely feel her.

The presences grip didn’t loosen though, warmth spreading throughout his body, soaking down to his core and filling the cold, empty space where Kellendros resided within him.

With a faint tug and a strange sense of finality, the Gae Bolg’s binding Remnant completely vanished from his mind, leaving only glorious heat that warmed him right down to the bone. Only then did the one holding him relax, fingers resuming their soft sweeping motions through his hair.

Wondering why he didn’t feel more alarmed considering the circumstances, he assumed it must be the presences doing, blocking those emotions somehow. David found he honestly couldn’t care, feeling safer and more relaxed than he had in years.

He couldn’t remember the last time someone had held him like this, his mother having died when he was very young and his father too distant and preoccupied with ruling Athlum. Emma had provided some comfort over the years, but after his fathers death he had pushed her away, not wanting to seem weak when inside he was a broken mess.

The pain had dimmed as time went by, and David had learned to hide his fractured psyche. Emma’s death however had pulled it all to the surface again, tearing open old scars and creating new ones.

As though sensing his thoughts the figure holding him began to sing, a soft relaxing melody that felt both ancient and timeless, but with the unmistakable cadence of a lullaby. The words were oddly familiar, despite being sung in a language he had never heard before.

Each note seemed to echo strangely, lingering in the air long after they were sung and David realised that it was the figures voice that was causing it, an ethereal, almost angelic quality that was quite unlike any voice he’d ever heard from man or beast.

Despite this, the tune was very simple, soft and lilting as it glided through the air. As he listened, he marvelled, for this voice was producing sounds never uttered by a human throat, pure and clear as a crystal chime.

Accompanying this was the overwhelming feeling of protection, safety, and the absolute certainty of being wanted and loved. Not crying quite yet, but feeling more like a broken child than the adult he was, David stifled a small dry sob, pressing further into the comforting presence, no longer caring what it planned to do to him, as long as it carried on wrapping him in these feelings.

The arms around him tightened reassuringly and with a final note that he felt right down to his bones, the singing changed becoming a low, rhythmic hum yet still following that same lullaby tune. Eyes bright with gathered moisture, the young man broke under the weight of his sorrows, all the emotions he had bottled up over the years pouring out in a silent flood.

Through it all, the figure just held him, resting it’s head atop David’s, humming softly and soothing away the heartache as best it could, cursing the fear and pain it had already caused.


	5. Awakening to a New Fear

**_ Previously _ **

_Accompanying this was the overwhelming feeling of protection, safety, and the absolute certainty of being wanted and loved. Not crying quite yet, but feeling more like a broken child than the adult he was, David stifled a small dry sob, pressing further into the comforting presence, no longer caring what it planned to do to him, as long as it carried on wrapping him in these feelings._

_The arms around him tightened reassuringly, and with a final note that he felt right down to his bones, the singing changed, becoming a low, rhythmic hum, still following that same lullaby tune. Eyes bright with gathered moisture, the young man broke under the weight of his sorrows, all the emotions he had bottled up over the years pouring out in a silent flood._

_Through it all, the figure just held him, resting it's head atop David's, humming softly and soothing away the heartache as best it could, cursing the fear and pain it had already caused._

 

* * *

When the tears finally abated, David realised that the humming had stopped, a deep rumbling purr and the strong beat of another’s heart next to his ear the only sounds. Surprised at his reaction, he wiped away his tears, feeling raw but strangely refreshed, like he’d just been scrubbed clean from the inside out. Content to just rest for now, David lay and listened to the muted rhythm of the others heart. Slow and steady, it calmed his own erratic breathing.

It was so strange, he couldn’t remember a time when he felt this tranquil before, like every worry and responsibility had just melted away, leaving him free of their burden. At least for now.

Looking out at the soft white expanse, David could just make out the faint shimmer of innumerable glowing threads, crisscrossing through the air, the occasional glint of green or gold briefly highlighting a strand. The air within the meshed light was also much warmer and sweeter, that summer and mint scent permeating the air, but not overpoweringly so.

Realising his hair felt strangely damp and that the other still had it’s head resting on his, David was surprised, only able to think of one reason for the dampness. It had been crying as well. Shifting slightly, he tried to look at the one holding him, but he couldn’t turn, their grip gentle but as strong and unyielding as steel, and looking up only gave him a view of messy dark hair, so he looked down instead, at the arm curled around his chest.

The hand was pale, with long strong fingers and calluses on the palm and fingertips, small scars scattered over its surface. The arm was covered with a long sleeve, loose and billowy, so presumably it was part of some sort of robe rather than a tunic or shirt.

The majority of the sleeve was a dark forest green, pale green threads the colour of new growth creating a delicate pattern of vines which wound their way lazily around the cuff and up the outer edge of the sleeve, presumably continuing onto the body of the robe. Bright silver thread also encircled the cuff and twined up the vines, outlining oval leaves and the occasional tiny star shaped flower.

There was nothing in what he’d just seen to even suggest that this was the same frightful creature as before, the only real hint being the deep animalistic purr he could feel rumbling through his back.

Still unnaturally relaxed in it’s presence and temporarily drained of all those negative emotions, David mustered enough willpower to try and sit up slightly, opening his mouth to question the unknown figure. He wanted, no _needed_ to know if it really was the presence that had attacked him and why it had changed so drastically.

Before a single syllable could roll off his tongue however, he felt the figure shift, leaning forward and wrapping both arms tightly round him, dark hair appearing at the edge of his vision as warm breath ghosted over his ear. Startled by the sudden move, he froze, a brief spark of fear breaking the calm he felt, before feeling the light brush of lips against the edge of his ear.

The unknown figure then smiled against his skin, and spoke briefly into his ear. What it said however was lost to him, as the moment it spoke the first word, everything swam in front of his eyes, an immediate and all encompassing desire to sleep drowning all other thoughts.

Drifting off, he felt the being hug him tightly, face pressed into his neck. Just before he sank into a dreamless slumber the figure spoke again, this time using words he could understand. The voice was shockingly familiar, thick with sorrow and unshed tears but as hard as he tried David couldn’t fight off the need to sleep long enough to put a name too it.

“David… I never meant for any of this to happen. I’m so, so sorry for what I did to you. I hurt you and I almost couldn’t stop, I didn’t realised it was you until it was almost too late. I could have killed you, nearly did… oh Gods how could I have…! I should have recognised you, should have stopped before then! …I’m so sorry, Dave…please, forgive me…”

* * *

Waking with a start, the boy in the bed sat bolt upright, eyes wide and blank as the luminescence faded from his skin, and things he never realised he had ever known crowded into his stunned mind.

Reeling from the overload of knowledge, Rush stared around his room as though he had never seen it before, mind struggling to find the names for the things he saw and used every day.

Looking down at his fingers, he flexed them slowly, feeling muscle and bone slide under his skin, turning them to stare at the tiny hairs sprinkled on the back of his hand then reached up to touch his face, fingers running over the contours of his features.

Eyes alight with an odd sort of wonder, he ran his fingers through his hair, tugging at the strands before feeling his neck, finding the pulse pounding below his jaw. Breathing deeply, he felt the rush of air travelling down his throat, his lungs expanding, his heart beating as it pumped blood through his body. Despite having lived with these feelings for eighteen years, he felt like he was rediscovering it all over again.

Eyes stopping on the still form lying on the carpet, he looked at it in confusion for a moment, mind searching for a reason as to why there was someone else in his room. With an almost audible click, a name matched itself with the unconscious form and Rush stifled a cry of dismay as bits and pieces of the nights events came back to him.

Nearly leaping out of the bed, he was at David’s side in an instant, fingers pressed against the side of his throat, feeling for the reassuring beat of a pulse. Finding one helped him relax somewhat, and he lifted David onto the rumpled bed, surprised at how easily he lifted the other boy, who was both broader than him and slightly taller. He was certainly unconscious, and trying to wake him only got a faint moan.

Remembering more with each moment that passed, Rush looked to see if there was any physical signs of the damage he’d inflicted on David’s… soul? Here he paused, wondering just how he knew that it had been real and not just a nightmare, or why he felt that there _would_ be physical damage.

He knew he had hurt Dave quite badly, and frightened him to boot, but he couldn’t get his mind around how any of it had happened. How had David somehow ended up within his mind? And why did he feel like it hadn’t really been _him_ that had hurt Dave?

Pushing it and a dozen other questions to the back of his mind Rush refocused on his friend, sitting him up and removing the young man’s night shirt, only to pale at the sight before him. Littering David’s chest and back were pale ghostly bruises, far fainter than he would have expected but startling enough that they were there in the first place. His legs were in a similar state, while the skin on his neck was practically untouched. His shoulder was the worst, skin barely broken but still bleeding freely, a  bruise of considerable proportions growing as he watched.

Shocked at the physical evidence of what he’d hoped was just a bad dream, he felt faint at the sight of his friend in that state. Rocking back on his heels, Rush took a minute to suppress the emotions far enough so that he could think clearly.

Healing the physical damage was obviously the thing he needed to do next, mind baulking at the thought of leaving them to fade on their own, so he spent the next thirty minutes scrambling around his room trying to be as quiet as possible, sifting through clothes, assorted pieces of armour, and finally through the mountain of components stashed in the bottom of his walk-in wardrobe.

Eventually unearthing his Jade orb and a small dagger to use for channelling, Rush left the mess he made scattered over the floor and turned back to David.

Concentrating on the best healing spell he knew, revitalise, Rush cast it on the still form on his bed, knowing it was overkill but wanting to make sure he was healed. Watching with relief as the raw skin closed and bruises began to lighten, Rush frowned when the signs of healing slowed and stopped with the bruises still a faint shadow on David’s skin.

Casting again made most of the bruises vanish completely, but David’s shoulder still bore a faint, darkened swelling. A third casting had Rush panting and perplexed, for the lingering trauma didn’t improve in the slightest.

Uneasy due to the difficulty he had healing relatively simple wounds with such a potent spell, Rush knew he didn’t have the magickal energy left to cast again, so settled for putting some bruise balm on the swelling.

Getting David back into his night shirt, Rush wondered whether to move him back to his own bed, but decided against it. He felt very unwilling to let David out of his sight, not to mention the potential of getting caught carrying the comatose noble might lead to some very difficult questions.

Arranging him so he was more comfortable, Rush settled on the other side of his friend, thankful that it was a queen size bed. Pulling the quilt up over them both, Rush lay and stared at the ceiling, his mind still racing with new ideas, flickers of knowledge he couldn’t quite catch.

Thinking of what might have happened if he hadn’t realised who the soul was, he shuddered, sickened. Turning onto his side and staring at David’s sleeping countenance, he reached out and lightly brushed the hair away from the young man’s face, marvelling at how relaxed he looked just lying there, for once appearing much younger than his 20 years.

Lost in contemplation, Rush never realised that he was seeing perfectly in a pitch black room, with not even moonlight filtering through the thick curtains to illuminate the scene…

* * *

Shifting in his sleep David sighed, burrowing further into his warm duvet, pulling the edge up over his head. Dozing lightly he smiled, feeling more relaxed than he could ever remember, as though all the weight on his shoulders had been lifted.

Breathing deeply, he frowned, the scent on the pillow and sheets not that of his own bed and froze when he realised there was someone else lying beside him. More than a little alarmed, David’s sleep fuddled mind tried to remember what he had been up to last night, sure that he hadn’t been drinking.

Turning slightly, David peeked over the edge of the duvet like a nervous child, sure he would see some serving maid or young Athlumian noble’s daughter. Instead he met a familiar pair of amused and slightly hesitant eyes, in a much more welcome face than any maid. Slightly confused and very relieved, David sat up and hissed through his teeth as he fell back, whole body aching to some degree, his muscles feeling stiff and sore.

“Dave, hey, how are you feeling?”

Still sleepy, David grimaced slightly as his shoulder complained, wondering why he was in Rush’s bed and why he felt so sore.

“Good morning to you too Rush. You wouldn’t know why I feel like I’ve gone four rounds with Torgal, _without_ armour would you? Also could you tell me why I’m in your bed and not my own?”

After a few seconds of awkward silence, David heard Rush move, the sheets rustling and watched him lean over to touch his sore shoulder lightly. It appeared Rush knew where he was hurting, interestingly. Defences still lowered by sleep David didn’t move away as he normally would have, allowing the light, massaging touch. It actually felt rather soothing, the teen’s hand was wonderfully warm and its heat seemed to spread through him.

Relaxing involuntarily as the ache faded to something ignorable, David met Rush’s eyes again and frowned when he realised something was different.

“Rush? Did you use a remedy just now? And what happened to your eyes, they look green…”

His eyes were a different colour from yesterday, streaks of green mixing with the usual stormy grey, faintly incandescent in the dim sunlight filtering through the closed curtains. As he watched, the colours seemed to shift, blending and swirling in a hypnotising manner… David almost felt himself getting lost in that mesmerizingly strange display, still sleepy enough that he felt himself starting to drift off. Fingers snapping inches from his nose jolted him back to the present, noticing Rush had removed his hand from David’s shoulder when it throbbed slightly from the full body flinch.

“Dave, snap out of it! I need you to focus for me, don’t drift off again.”

Dropping the commanding tone he’d just used, Rush ran his hand through his hair, looking worried. Sounding quite hesitant, Rush didn’t meet David’s eyes when he next spoke, as though afraid of the response he might get.

“Dave… do you… do you remember what happened last night? I woke up when it was still dark to find you out cold on the floor… do you remember why you were there?”

Forcing himself to wake up further, David felt a small pang of worry for his usually exuberant friend, but pushed that aside as he verbally recounted what he could remember, as much for his own benefit as for Rush.

“After an early supper, I went for a walk in the gardens before going to bed. I remember I couldn’t sleep, not with everything that’s been happening. I got up and wandered the halls after most of the castle staff were abed… I meant to turn back after I realised how cold it was, but I think I saw someone else was awake…”

Feeling oddly apprehensive, David continued, half wanting to stop right there, to not remember, but a larger part felt he _needed_ to know.

“At least, there was light coming from someone’s room… it was strange, because it wasn’t candlelight or lamplight. I was curious, so I opened the door to find out what was making it, and… and… it was _… you, it was coming from you_ …”

Here David paled dramatically, staring at Rush’s tense figure as the teen looked anywhere but at the other male, hands fiddling with the quilt.

“You… you were glowing, and it was _so warm, but then I touched you and_ …”

With that last line, spoken in a whisper and laced with remembered pain, the young Marquis flinched away with a gasp as, like a dam breaking, all of the memories of last nights events flooded his mind in an unstoppable torrent. The renewed touch of fingers on his arm had David reacting without thought, his arm coming up to slap the hand away even as the rest of him moved.

Without even realising how he did it, David found himself out of the bed and halfway across the room before he could blink, confusion and panic welling up in his chest, his arm still raised and stinging from the harsh slap he had delivered.

Utterly confused by the memories of last night, David stared wide eyed at the boy sitting frozen on the rumpled bed, one hand still raised as though in supplication. One of David’s hands crept up to his sore shoulder, flinching as he remembered vividly why it hurt, his body trembling as he tried to make sense of everything his mind was telling him.

He remembered the light, the pain, the images and sensations. Most prominently, he remembered _the creature_ and how it had terrified and tormented him, made him fear for his life and acknowledge the fact that he was helpless before it. That was what had prompted his sudden movement, the touch sparking an automatic fear response, remembered pain making his body react.

However, through the suffocating memory of pain and fear, David also recalled how it had stopped, as though unsure. He remembered how everything had changed, how the creature had vanished, replaced by something… _someone_ kind.

That changed presence had calmed him, cared for him and cried over what had been done to him. They had whispered words of regret and desperate apology in a voice **_he knew_**.

It was terribly confusing and seemed impossible, but as his mind struggled to connect the dots, something was making him wonder if the owner of that voice and the presence/creature were different aspects of the same creature, different parts of the _same person_ and as illogical as it seemed it somehow felt correct.

If that was the truth, then it wasn’t much of a stretch to connect them to the very same person who now sat in front of him, looking shaken and terribly guilty with regret and a sense of desolation easily visible on his face.


	6. A Secret no Longer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yatta! Hugs and mini chocolate Davids for all who reviewed! Here’s the next chapter, and with it most of the explanations for what happened in the ‘dream’ sequence. A bit more fluff, some David angst and Rush being cuddly. Next chapter will be getting into the repercussions from that experience, starting with Kellendros.  
> Perhaps I should have set this before the Undelwalt trip, but I think David would have been much less receptive to the idea of Mitra shaped Remnants if I did that. There’s much less denial on his part like this, though I would love to see/write either the final Koenigsdorf base or Darken forest confrontation with a fully aware Rush… (Oh, that would have been good…) Oh yes, Marina isn’t actually in Athlum right now, which is why she isn’t knocking down their door. She’s trying to track down another ark to get them to Elysion, (which she won’t be finding for a while yet, don’t worry about this being a short story) but she will be here in a couple of chapters, and then the fireworks will really fly…

**_ Previously _ **

_It was terribly confusing and seemed impossible, but as his mind struggled to connect the dots, something was making him wonder if the owner of that voice and the presence/creature were different aspects of the same creature, different parts of the same person and as illogical as it seemed it somehow felt correct._

_If that was the truth, then it wasn’t much of a stretch to connect them to the very same person who now sat in front of him, looking shaken and terribly guilty with regret and a sense of desolation easily visible on his face._

 

* * *

Shocked at David’s response to his touch, Rush looked at the other’s shaking form, feeling something break inside of him at the _look_ on David’s face, the defensive curl of his body and the way he clutched his shoulder. The sight made him feel sick with guilt, Dave shouldn’t be afraid of _him_.

But he was.

Moving slowly Rush slipped off the bed, the others confusion and fear almost tangible, vibrating off of him in waves. Walking towards David, Rush stopped when David flinched, seemingly torn between retreating and moving towards his friend. Base fear like that of a nervous animal mixed with a strange longing flashed across his face as Rush watched.

“Dave…?”

Rush could see that David was fighting to try and control his reactions, becoming frustrated when they proved too wild to tame. Considering how reserved he usually was, this blatant lack of control was very alarming, showing just how badly last night had affected him.

Knowing this was his fault, Rush took a few steps back and sat cross legged on the floor, trying to appear as small and harmless as possible to give David some space to calm down. It would be best to let David make the next move, unless it involved him leaving the room in that panicked state. If so Rush was prepared to stop him, knowing far too many unanswerable questions would be asked if anyone saw the young Marquis like this.

Really, he should have remembered to lock the door last night, but with everything that had happened he hadn’t thought and if he did that _now_ it would be sure to freak David out even more. Thankfully, the door was behind Rush and the Marquis didn’t look inclined to get any closer to the teen than he already was.

It took several minutes but David eventually seemed to get a tenuous hold of his emotions, enough at least to quell the urge to bolt as something primal insisted that he was far too near danger to relax. It had risen to a screaming crescendo of :! _fearhunterpredator_!: when Rush had moved towards him, and he couldn’t stop the shudder that ran through him when he held his ground, a cold sweat breaking out on his brow.

It calmed considerably when the boy had stepped back and sat down, which was a big relief. Clenching his hands, he gradually got his breathing back under control and slowed the tiny tremors running through his body, each passing moment calming the fear that shivered under his skin.

Still very confused and despite himself, a little frightened, he stared at his friend sitting on the carpet, trying to find the words to ask all the questions that were running through his head. Unfortunately, of all those questions the one that escaped his lips was the one he would never have asked if he was anywhere near a stable frame of mind.

“What… are you?”

The moment he said it he regretted it, because Rush flinched at the words, then seemed to wilt where he sat, shoulders drooping as a faint look of helplessness stole over his face. A look of resigned pain reflecting clearly in his eyes, he sighed and answered, giving the one answer that totally floored David.

“I’m a Remnant, the same as the Conqueror. I'm not one of those Academy creations we’ve seen in the past. Believe me I know how mad that sounds... but it’s the truth.”

Knees feeling weak, David sank slowly into a sitting position, mind reeling as it tried to make sense of that statement. The young man who he considered his friend, the one he’d shared so many things with, had just admitted to being one of the creatures that had caused so much suffering in his life and was currently the cause of so much more for everyone else.

He’d been expecting the answer to be… well, he wasn’t really sure what he’d expected, but possibly an Academy experiment as Rush said, given the information they had already learned about their many illicit activities. Yet it explained _so much_ , given the revelation about the Conqueror in Undelwalt. It left just as many questions unanswered though.

Abruptly, his mind flashed back to the many odd little details about Rush that had never seemed to make sense. His tireless energy both in and out of battle had always seemed puzzling for he never showed true fatigue, even after hours of fighting and sometimes multiple uses of his talisman. In comparison only one shot from the ex-machina had David feeling slightly weak at the knees.

He didn’t seem to feel the sweltering heat of the Sandsea, breaking a light sweat at most when everyone else was soaking with it, or the freezing cold of mount Vackel, only grudgingly wearing one of the thick fur coats that the others had bundled up in when they were on the mountain.

He also thought of the many times he’d seen Rush use his talisman, and found himself wondering how much of that was just Rush covering the use of his own abilities and indeed, which of the ‘talisman’s powers’ were actually his own?

It even explained the unusual interest the Conqueror had shown in Rush and the cryptic little messages that seemed to make no sense to anyone else.

Apparently he’d taken too long to answer and his silence had prompted Rush to continue speaking.

“My mum found me as a baby in the Sacred Lands, in the cradle room that I’m sure Torgal or one of the others told you about. I didn’t actually know what I was until just a few weeks ago, but I suspected it for a while before then. Mum… Marina used Marion’s blessing to shut away the part of me that knew what I was, as weird as that sounds. I don’t really know why she did it, but I can guess and I didn’t actually remember that until last night… until after what happened.”

“I know you’re probably really freaked out about it, and angry that I didn’t tell you, but… I didn’t know how to, what with the Conqueror and everything you looked so stressed out all the time and I didn’t want to add to that.”

Swallowing roughly, Rush carried on before David could interject, not that the Marquis knew what he would have said, his mind still scrambling to put everything together.

“I know I hurt you in the dream thing and scared you. Heck, I’d be shaking in my boots if I went through the same thing…”

Now there was a shaky breath on Rush’s part, suspiciously bright eyes fixed on the carpet by his feet, his mind seeing that battered and shaking form of his friend, seeing the hurt _he_ had inflicted.

“I’m sorry, Dave. I didn’t mean for any of it to happen and I’d take it all back if I could. When… when I realised it was you, and you were so _afraid_ … I felt sick. I _never_ meant to hurt you Dave, _I swear._ ”

He fell silent after that, voice too thick to continue and eyes stinging with tears, one spilling over to trickle down his cheek as the memories of David’s pain looped before his eyes.

Sitting in the silence Rush waited for several long, agonising moments, knowing that causing that kind of terror couldn’t be forgiven easily, if at all. Despite their friendship he was expecting either anger, condemnation or more fear in response. Instead, he got something entirely unexpected.

He got a hug.

It was _very_ hesitant and unsure, awkward in it’s stiffness, arms tense where they rested around his shoulders and obviously ready to pull away at any moment. David was still very nervous, his body trembling slightly but it was unmistakably a hug. Looking up in shock at the young man kneeling beside him, Rush saw the determination in his face, overriding the fear and confusion he still saw lingering there and felt awed at the strength of will the young Marquis was exerting just sitting beside him after what he’d done.

Clearing his throat, David didn’t look at him as he spoke, voice quiet and controlled but forced, as though the words didn’t want to come.

“In the dream, vision or whatever it was, I think I saw memories. They were yours, I’m sure… I recognised Eulam from how you described it Rush. The meadow on the eastern edge of the island, with all those flowers…What found me after that… it was terrifying but… after the… after the pain, there was something else, light, warmth and singing. It took away the fear and it… it felt _wonderful_. Both of the... both of the _presences_ felt similar, strangely... What I mean is both of them were you, somehow... or parts of you, weren’t they?”

Utterly speechless at how _open_ David was being, Rush just nodded, his throat tight at the unheard of level of raw emotion the young man was projecting. He didn’t dare speak, afraid he would shatter the moment and the other would retreat, bottling all that pain and pushing him away.

“What I felt there, what _you_ made me feel, was it real, did… did you mean it, or was it just a lie, something to make me feel better?”

Slightly stunned at the bitterness that bled into the question, Rush mentally ran through what had happened, trying to find words to express what he needed to say.

“Dave…”

Seeing David’s face fall at that, and begin to harden, Rush reached up and returned the hug, pulling the young man into a tight embrace, resting his chin on his friend’s shoulder as he stiffened, muscles taught as he pulled against the hold.

“David, I meant all of it, none of that was a lie.”

At that, David stilled, listening, but still stiff in his arms.

“You’re my _best friend_ , you helped me get my sister back from Hermeien of all people and find my parents. You even gave me a place to stay in the castle rather than an inn somewhere in town. You went out of your way to help me, getting yourself mixed up in something so crazy, so dangerous that it could kill you and nearly has on several occasions, yet you never regretted helping me any of those times.”

“Is it so hard to believe that you mean that much to me, and that all I want is to see you safe and happy? Not because you’re the Marquis, no, the Duke of Athlum, or that I see you as a means to an end because I don’t, but just because _I care for you_.”

Putting extra emphasis on the last part, he waited anxiously for some kind of response.

David, for his part, didn’t know how to react. He’d mustered the courage to go over to his friend, successfully suppressing the (for now) largely unfounded fear he still felt, wanting to stop the anguish in his voice that was tugging at David’s heartstrings.

Asking those questions while kneeling so close to the source of that fear, and in such a vulnerable position had taken all his self control. When he thought the answer to the last one was a no… it didn’t bear thinking about. But now, held close and with _that_ reply ringing in his ears, he didn’t know what to feel, so he just went with his first impulse and clung to the boy. His hands clenched in the other’s nightshirt as an odd, but not unpleasant feeling welled up in his chest and constricted his throat.

He didn’t cry, but his body shook with the force of his feelings, breath catching in his throat. He still felt confused, nervous, mind and emotions in turmoil but he wasn’t as afraid any more, relief and something else making him feel weak as he sagged against his friend.

Speaking with a slightly thick voice, David asked another question he’d been meaning to ask.

“Rush, what was that thing I met first, you said that both… _beings_ were you, but how is that possible?”

Shifting slightly, Rush turned his head so that he was looking David in the eye, their breath mingling as he spoke.

“D’you remember that I said Mum… that Marina used Marion’s blessing to lock away the part of me that knew I was a Remnant? Well, what she did was more than that. She… tore it out. She couldn’t get rid of it, so she separated it from the rest of me and buried it so far down that I couldn’t reach it. It broke free when it felt you, somehow.”

Reading the wordless question in David’s eyes Rush closed his own, head dipping so that his face was pressed into the crook of the young man’s neck, breathing in his living scent to remind himself that he hadn’t been too late. Ignoring the slight stiffening from David he continued, voice muffled by cloth and skin.

“She sealed it away because it’s not just knowledge, it’s hard to describe but… it’s like part of my soul. It held some of my powers and… it also held instinct. That’s why it attacked you, because of instinct. After being locked up for that long it was so… it _needed_ … that’s why it was going to…”

Unable to actually say the words to express the ferocious **_hunger_** it/he had felt, he just swallowed roughly, queasy, feeling David shiver faintly as he realised what Rush wasn’t saying. In a quiet voice he asked.

“Now that it’s broken free, is it still… drifting… or is it part of you again?”

Relaxing slightly as there was no real fear evident in David’s tone, he answered.

“No, it’s not wandering around on it’s own any more, it’s back where it’s meant to be.”

Evidently David was slowly regaining control of himself, as there was only faint hesitation in his voice when he next spoke.

“Rush, if it’s part of you now, does that mean that you feel the same… need… that it did?”

Despite wanting to deny it vehemently, he couldn’t lie when David was being so open and accepting with him, so he replied, voice so soft that David had to strain to hear it.

“It’s not as strong but… yeah, the feeling’s still there.”

Not really sure that there was anything he could add to that, he fell silent, and for several long moments there was only the sound of their breathing to break the silence.

Finally, in a surprisingly concerned tone, David asked a question that had Rush lost for an answer as it was something he really hadn’t thought of.

“How will this, addition affect you? Will these… instincts change anything? I’ve already noticed that your eyes have changed colour slightly. Forgive me for saying, but you also seem to be more… ‘clingy’ than usual.”

Stumped, Rush just shrugged, pulling back slightly to look him in the face.

“I… honestly haven’t got a clue, have my eyes really changed?”

He didn’t say anything about his ‘clinginess’ mainly because he _really_ didn’t want to try and explain the possessive feeling that was growing in his chest. In part it stemmed from needing reassurance that David was unhurt but another part was a growing need to protect those he loved (those he saw as : _his_ :, who no-one had the right to touch but him), wrap them in cotton wool and hide them somewhere safe, somewhere the Conqueror couldn’t reach.


	7. A New Complication

**_ Previously _ **

 

_He didn’t say anything about his ‘clinginess’ mainly because he really didn’t want to try and explain the possessive feeling that was growing in his chest. In part it stemmed from needing reassurance that David was unhurt but another part was a growing need to protect those he loved (those he saw as :his:, who no-one had the right to touch but him), wrap them in cotton wool and hide them somewhere safe, somewhere the Conqueror couldn’t reach._

* * *

 

Some time later and the two of them still sat there, content for now to just forget the outside world and it’s troubles, the late morning sunlight slanting across the floor to shine off of tousled hair.

Sitting back with a sigh, David slowly got to his feet along with Rush, feeling slightly embarrassed at his lack of control, even though it was perfectly warranted, and not quite sure what to say under the circumstances. Seeing this, Rush gave him a small sympathetic smile, resisting the urge to point out just how much the Marquis looked like a little kid.

David’s nightshirt was a rumpled mess, slipping off his shoulder slightly, his cheeks were flushed and his normally silky smooth hair was a rat’s nest of tangles.

His hands still shook slightly, hanging forgotten at his side and his eyes looked so _lost_ , like his whole world had turned upside down and nothing was as he’d left it. The only times Rush had seen him anywhere near this rattled and _vulnerable_ was after finding out about Emma’s death and seeing the Conqueror kill Hermeien in such a brutal fashion.

Mentally shrinking back from that memory, Rush tried to disperse the awkward moment, feeling the need to be active lest he also get trapped in his own turbulent emotions before remembering the incident that happened just a few hours ago.

 “Ah, I’d say we should get you back to your room to get dressed, but there’s no need.”

At the questioning look from David, Rush rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, looking slightly apologetic, before pointing to a small table near the door, where a neatly folded pile of clothes sat, the unmistakable sight of David’s coat lying next to it.

“Emmy kinda knows you’re here, she stuck her head around the door a couple of hours ago, didn’t say anything though. I pretended to be asleep, but I don’t know if she saw through it or not, and she brought those through about half an hour later.”

Another moment of silence ensued, as David felt faintly mortified at the thought of Emmy seeing him fast asleep in Rush’s bed and probably making embarrassing assumptions.

Knowing David probably needed more than a few minutes of ‘alone time’ to really think about what happened, (heaven knows Rush certainly did), Rush zeroed in on the scattered jumble of items on the floor.

“Dave, you better get dressed first, we can get some breakfast after. I made kind of a mess last night looking through my stuff, so I’d better tidy it up. I’ll wait ‘til you’re ready, kay?”

Turning away before David could notice the deeper meaning behind his last words, he bent and started picking up odd items from the floor and tossing them haphazardly back into his closet.

Deciding he was better off not knowing what Rush had been looking for after seeing him pick up a tube of lipstick and a _cloistral belt_ of all things, its many straps hanging from his arm like tentacles, David retreated quickly to the adjoining bathroom after grabbing his clothes.

* * *

Taking comfort in the familiar, somewhat mechanical motions of dressing, David managed to centre himself, pushing back what had happened to try and focus more on the here and now. After getting dressed, David found a perch on the edge of the rumpled bed, feeling rather numb, which he knew detachedly was probably a sign of delayed shock.

One thought jumped to the fore, and he suppressed a shudder. Just how strong was the Conqueror really, if he could throw Rush about like a rag doll? A cold chill settled over his skin as he felt even more overwhelmed by it all, the part of him that didn’t feel numbed hating the weakness and hopelessness that lurked at the edge of his mind.

Almost reflexively, he reached out mentally for Kellendros and started when he realised she wasn’t there. Searching his memory, he remembered that penetrating warmth and how it had forced her out.

Paling at the thought of her unbound and judging from his recollection, extremely angry in the middle of a city full of innocent people, he leapt to his feet just as Rush stepped into the room, shrugging on his blue patterned jacket.

“Dave, what’s wrong? You look pale as a ghost.”

Pacing agitatedly, David spun to face Rush.

“In the dream, when you pushed Kellendros out, you broke the bond. She’s now unbound and probably very angry, in the middle of my city. That’s what’s wrong.”

Blanching at the impact of those words, Rush snatched the talisman from the bedside table and hurried to the door.

“We’d better check on her then. You’ll need to show me where the Gae Bolg’s kept, that’s where she’ll be since it’s technically her body.”

Nodding, David took point and led the way, thanking the numbness that suppressed his anxiety and mentally donning the mask of control he needed as a Noble.

Ignoring the glances from passing servants and guards, David led them steadily downwards, through sparsely lit halls and down steep stone staircases, before eventually going down a tiny spiral staircase that opened into a windowless and rather dilapidated corridor.

No one had been down here in a while; the dust was thick on the floor and rusted iron torch brackets (in desperate need of a clean) showed just how old this section of the castle was.

There were only dim crystal lamps to show the way, some obviously on their last legs, as the crystals had definitely not been charged in years. Stopping in front of a faded tapestry, he pulled it to one side to reveal a surprisingly plain, blackened door.

“This is a secret way into the Gae Bolgs’ chamber; the main doors are guarded by Celapaleian soldiers. They should have been removed with Athlum’s independence, but Qubine and Ghor don’t trust me not to move against the Conqueror and Ghor especially holds the power to keep them there now he has retaken the position as head of the Congress. The soldiers wouldn’t let me through if we were to try and enter there. They don’t know about this entrance however.”

Motioning for Rush to hold the tapestry, David removed a stone from the wall opposite the door, working it free with the tips of his fingers and pulled a key out of the hole it left. Putting the stone back he turned and unlocked the door, slipping inside and motioning for Rush to follow.

Stepping through Rush was greeted with the sight of a huge domed chamber, hundreds of metres wide. The floor was a solid expanse of stone, it’s pitch black surface polished smoother than glass, creating the illusion of an endless abyss below his feet.

It was only broken by the darkened mirror image of himself reflected in the stone, courtesy of the flames that lit the chamber. Intricately sculpted marble pedestals, their squat bulk shaped like a mass of billowing silk, were scattered around the room, each supporting a large bronze bowl.

The fire that leapt within each one danced over the polished metal like a living thing, tongues of red-gold spilling over the edges to reflect on the mirror-like surface of the obsidian rock below.

Massive granite pillars circled the chamber, each one carved with Remnant symbols that spiralled up the body of the pillar and were inlaid with slivers of light crystals to make them glow. The domed roof was lost in darkness and shifting shadows, but hanging from the dark vault were thick chains that bound the gleaming form of the Gae Bolg, suspending it about three metres above the floor, light playing over its surface in an almost innocent display.

Glancing back at the door, totally hidden in the shadow of one of the pillars, Rush stepped up beside David, whistling quietly at the sheer scale of the chamber.

“I guessed you didn’t just stuff it in a broom closet when you weren’t using it, but this… it’s massive! Are we still in the castle?”

Eyes troubled as he stared at the Gae Bolg, David answered distractedly.

“No, we’re actually underneath it here; this is part of the cave system that runs under Athlum, though the monsters were cleared out years ago. There’s a passage that opens up into the large interior courtyard we use for practice, and from there the Gae Bolg can be taken out of the city when needed.”

Not sure what David was seeing to cause such concern, Rush walked towards the large Remnant, wanting to get a better look. He had only ever seen it the once, back on the Yamarn plains, though he had seen the ex-machina enough times to recognise the similarity between the two.

Stopping directly beneath the bulky cannon, Rush tipped his head back and considered the glowing shape. It didn’t look any different from his memory, but when David appeared at his shoulder he still looked worried.

“She’s not luminescing… is she aware she’s free, Rush? I thought she would be showing signs of luminescence, or (heaven forbid) even Collapsing, not sitting here placidly…”

Frowning, David lifted his arm, hand outstretched towards the cannon with a look of concentration on his face. Recognising the pose, Rush stared in surprise, before glancing up in alarm and snatching his wrist, pulling it down.

“What do you think you’re doing, you can’t bind her now! Besides no luminescence, you said yourself she was furious and you heard what she said in the dream, she’d kill you if you tried that.”

Mask slipping slightly, David flinched at the angry tone in Rush’s voice, stepping back quickly. Despite his outward acceptance of the situation, inside he was still reeling, and it would take more than a heartfelt talk and a hug to dispel all his worries and uncertainty.

He knew intellectually that Rush was his friend, and would not knowingly hurt him, but emotionally he was still unsure, so moments of anger like that would certainly make him nervous for some time to come. The earlier reassurance was really just a balm over his damaged trust that would take time to heal. Pulling free from the tight grip on his wrist, David gestured up towards the great Remnant, mixed emotions crossing his face.

“Then what am I supposed to do?! Unbound she is a threat to my city, and I don’t know of another way to deal with this, unless you think you can do something?”

He would have continued, but his aborted attempt at binding seemed to have alerted the Remnant to their presence. Giving no warning, the Gae Bolg came to life, energy snaking along the long barrel and over it’s golden skin before sinking into the chains, heating the metal to extreme temperatures in seconds.

Glowing white-hot, the metal bubbled and melted, the chains tearing apart like soft cheese, giving a muted groan as the cooler central core of the links snapped in two. With barely a sound the metal failed, sending the Remnant plummeting to the ground and straight for the two young men beneath it.

Alerted by the faint sound of the chains snapping, Rush’s power flared to life, pale green light blanketing his skin and gleaming in his eyes as it slowed time within the chamber. Without that power they would have been crushed, the sheer size of the cannon and the short distance between them leaving no time to move out of the way.

As it was, Rush grabbed David around the waist and back pedalled swiftly, power receding only when they were out from under the Remnant. No longer slowed, the great cannon hit the ground with a thunderous crunch, the impact fracturing the stone beneath it.

Wincing at the loud sound, the two boys retreated further, stopping a good six metres away from the Remnant. Shaken by the near miss and the abrupt, tight hold, David pulled away quickly, tactfully ignoring the brief look of disappointment that crossed Rush’s face and nodded a quick thanks before turning his attention back to the now brightly glowing cannon.

Small arcs of lightning were crackling over every inch of metallic skin, occasionally lashing out to strike the floor, writhing and snapping like angry snakes. When nothing else happened for several moments, both young men relaxed a bit, though Rush still stood slightly in front of David in an unconscious protective gesture.

Narrowing his eyes, David thought hard as he stared at the Remnant, wondering why she hadn’t done more to try to hurt them, before realising the answer was obvious. Speaking more to himself than Rush, the young Duke muttered quietly, voice rising in volume as he spoke his thoughts aloud.

“Of course, she doesn’t have the power. She _can’t_ attack us, even though she desperately wants to…”

Unsure where this was leading, Rush waited for David to finish, not taking his eyes from the other Remnant.

“Kellendros has been bound for so long that she’s become used to taking the power she needs from her bonded. Without one, she has too little energy to do anything substantial, much less seriously damaging!”

As though trying to prove him wrong, the Gae Bolg let out a fresh burst of energy, lightning leaping into the air only to strike the ground a moment later, leaving the smell of ozone to itch at their noses, but none of the myriad bolts hit anywhere near the two boys. They could practically see the Remnant fuming with anger, the blue-white colour of it’s energy taking on a faint red tinge, the flames from the bronze dishes reflecting demonically on it’s golden surface.

Face troubled, David turned away from the cannon, touching Rush’s arm to get his attention.

“Rush, could you… could you use your power to put a shield around her, or something to stop people getting too close, and keep it there for an extended period of time?”

Surprised at the request, the boy took a moment to answer, wondering what David was thinking.

“I don’t really know… I don’t think I could make a shield with my own powers, but I might be able the put something up with the Talisman’s help. Why though? She can’t move, and this place is guarded against anyone coming down here.”

Gesturing to the far end of the chamber at the shadowed shape of an arch that Rush hadn’t noticed before, David explained.

“You are adamant that I not bind her, and these caves amplify any sound, despite being sealed by gates thick enough to put the drawbridge to shame. The guards might have heard the noise Kellendros made by falling. If any come down to investigate and get too close she could kill them. She’s also very manipulative and I wouldn’t trust her not to have some plan to regain a bit of power, so leaving her here unbound and unprotected is almost asking for something to happen.”

Seeing the possible danger that prompted David’s concerns, Rush sighed and nodded.

“Ok, I’ll give it a shot. The shield you’ve seen before is the Talisman’s, and it only lasts a few minutes at most, so I can’t use that… I don’t know how good whatever I come up with will be, or how much power I’ll need to use to hold it. I don’t exactly have much practice doing this, so keep your fingers crossed…”

Closing his eyes, Rush reached up to grasp the Talisman hanging around his neck, feeding the knowledge of what he wanted to make to the compact Remnant, knowing that it would help if it could.

Feeling it warm up against his hand he took a deep breath, power simmering under his skin as he felt the little Remnant respond to his thoughts, reaching out in it’s own way to help him direct and shape his power.

* * *

Unsure what to expect, David watched as green light gathered and shimmered under his friend’s skin. When it started to leech into the air around him like faint, glittering mist David couldn’t help but back away a few feet, nervous despite the past reassurances.

Stepping around to the side, the young Marquis saw the thin mist ripple and shimmer as it started to move, expanding in waves, coiling tendrils reaching towards the centre of the chamber where the Gae Bolg lay. Unlike true mist it didn’t thin or thicken, keeping the same translucent quality all through the glimmering cloud of light that now blanketed the ground in front of him.

Noticing a faint tingle on his legs, David looked down only to start in shock. The mist was swirling gently around his knees, the outer edges having reached him several moments ago as the stuff expanded, though he hadn’t even felt it until now.

Trying to ignore the strangely pleasant sensation, David saw that the mist had now surrounded the cannon shaped Remnant, leaving a rough circle of clear ground around it. Fairly sure now that the mist wouldn’t do anything untoward to him, the Marquis moved forward to see Rush’s face, but made sure to stay far enough away so as not to disturb him.

Studying the look of concentration on the boy-Remnant’s face, David’s eyes wandered over his skin, looking at the sheen of light that both covered and shone through his skin.

At a brief nudge from his memory, David looked for any sign of the symbols he had seen in the bedroom, when the boy had apparently been luminescing, but found no trace of anything save the pale shifting light.

So focused was his inspection that he started in surprise when the boy opened his eyes. Surprise turned to outright unease as he took an involuntary step back, sucking in a sharp breath. He had seen Rush’s eyes when he used his power before, a pale green film of light that covered their surface but left the pupil untouched.

This was nothing like that.

The pale green light was not covering his eyes, but radiating out from their depths with frightening intensity. Both iris and pupil had been swallowed up by the light, just a bright glowing circle of energy and even the sclera were no longer white, but glowing faintly with the cast off light from the centre of his eyes. They glittered eerily in the light from the flames, and David could feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickle and stand on end as he watched.

More than a little glad that piercing gaze was focused on the Gae Bolg and not himself, David saw the Remnant (no, not the Remnant, it was Rush too) slowly lift the arm that wasn’t clasping the Talisman, hand open with fingers spread and palm downward.

In response to this the mist abruptly surged forward and upward, pulling away from his legs and into the beginnings of a shifting dome forming around Kellendros.

Once the arm was level with his shoulder Rush slowly clenched his fist, tilting it so the palm was facing the building dome. Immediately the mist started seething, leaping up to complete the top of the dome before writhing chaotically. Glancing at Rush, David could see sweat start to break out on his forehead, though that was the only outward sign of the strain this was causing.

Looking back at the dome David could see it was changing, the mist starting to melt away from the bottom edge. What was left behind bore some similarities to the Talisman’s shield, the same shifting diamond pattern within it.

It wasn’t made of light like the other however. It looked almost like semi-frozen blue-green water, smooth and flowing in places, visibly rippling, but with harder jagged pieces that moved over its surface, glinting like ice.

It didn’t look very sturdy, but then again neither did the Talisman’s shield, so the Marquis trusted it would hold, at least for a while. Looking at Rush he saw the light fading from his skin, receding until there was only the glowing green flecks in otherwise grey eyes.

Blinking slowly, the teen stared at the dome, then at David, and let a small smile curl the edges of his lips before his knees gave out, sending him tumbling to the cold stone floor.


	8. Hunger of a Dangerous Kind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally you get to find out what happened to Rush! I hope I don’t disappoint. Let me know what you think of Rush’s reactions in the first bit, were they too much, too little? I’ve never been properly drunk before, so no firsthand info to work with.
> 
> Oh, if anyone is confused by the Nora comment about halfway down, Nora is a mercenary Rush picks up in the Warrior’s Honour in-game. She was surgically fused with a remnant by the Third committee, and now has to eat twice the nutritional requirements of a normal mitra just to survive.

**_ Previously _ **

__

_Looking at Rush he saw the light fading from his skin, receding until there was only the pale green flecks in otherwise dark grey eyes. Blinking slowly, the teen stared at the dome, then at David, and let a small smile curl the edges of his lips before his knees gave out, sending him tumbling to the cold stone floor._

 

* * *

 

 Eyes widening at this unexpected development, David automatically darted forward and managed to catch the young man under the arms. He proved to be quite a bit heavier than the young Duke was expecting however, shoulder shrieking at the unexpected pull on abused muscle and he stumbled under the added weight, off balance from the lunge. Landing on the ground with Rush lying half on his stomach, David winced at the pain radiating from his tailbone and arm before sitting up and giving the other male a small shake, concern furrowing his brow.

After a minute of unresponsiveness, Rush groaned faintly, pulling himself slowly into a seated position, one hand on David’s shoulder (thankfully not the sore one) for balance with the other splayed on the floor.

“Wow, that was… intense… it really took more ‘n I thought it would… Urgh, I think my head’s gonna fall off, ev’rythin’s spinning…”

Staring rather dazedly around the room, Rush’s eyes settled on the dome and lit up with delight.

“I did it, d’you see, Dave? I really did it!”

Voice slurring noticeably, Rush pointed unsteadily at his accomplishment, wobbling alarmingly before leaning more heavily on the Duke. Like flicking a switch, the happy expression melted off his face only a moment later. Gaze strangely unfocused, Rush frowned and lifted one hand to his head, shaking it slightly before grimacing as everything swam sickeningly.

“Ooh, I don’ feel so good…”

Helping to support the visibly light headed young man, David was at a loss as to what was happening, the feeling of being too far out of his depth to be of any help rising steadily, threatening to break his already cracked mask of self control. Really, he was just going with the current at this point, too much going on to really accept what he’d learned so far.

It was easier to just accept it was happening and wait for a quiet moment (whether that be in a few hours or a few days) to digest it all properly. His initial break down had been dealt with, but that was only the beginning as far as true acceptance went.

Leaning more heavily on David, Rush, despite his previous words, tried to get to his feet unsuccessfully. Wobbling precariously, Rush managed to get to his knees under him, blithely ignoring David’s suggestion to stay put until he was more steady.

Unfortunately for David, the challenge of standing up proved too much for the teen, his unsteady legs just not co-operating. With one foot under him he tried to stand, but toppled sideways onto the young man with a startled yelp, and then after a moments silence broke out into a round of giggles that had David staring at him like he had grown a second head. Rush laughing at or about something was a pretty common thing, but _giggling_?

Looking closer David saw the teen’s face was flushed, eyes just too bright in the flickering light, still glowing faintly. His skin was also warm to the touch, too warm to be normal, for David could feel the excess heat even through their clothes.

Faintly concerned at this unusual behaviour David tried to stand, planning to get his friend up and out of there in the event that any guards came, but arms wrapping around his waist stopped him, holding on even when he tried to pull away.

“Rush, let go, you’re not feeling well. We need to leave in case anyone heard the Remnant falling.”

Giving a little snicker, Rush tried to look serious.

“Which one? I fell… fell down too y’know… Don’ think ‘m as heavy as the ol’ lady though… old lady Kelly ov’r there…, not ol’ lady Emmy, cause Emmy’s not really old, is she? Or a Remn’nt.”

Utterly bemused at the boy’s drunken speech, David tried again.

“Come on now, we have to get up, and I can’t do that without you moving.”

Looking down at the half sprawled boy David caught a small shake of his head before it was pressed into his side, the arms tightening around his middle.

“No, m’fine here… not spinnin’ s’ much down here…”

All levity gone from his voice, Rush trailed off into incomprehensible (and worryingly sleepy) mumbles, including a rather garbled “Mmm… you’re comfy…” (which had the off balance Duke blushing redder than a tomato). Sighing, the teen pulled David closer, not noticing the young man’s shudder at the increased contact and ignoring his protests, making him overbalance so that he was lying half on his side.

Extremely glad that no one else was here to see this, especially Emmy (as she’d probably think it was cute) and Blocter (who would tease mercilessly), David took several deep, calming breaths, body tense and jittery.

After several minutes and no more surprise movement, David started to relax. The casual contact was unsettling to begin with, but gradually, strangely, it started to become… almost comfortable, the closeness oddly familiar.

It wasn’t as though he hadn’t seen Rush do this sort of thing with others, he’d witnessed enough rough and tumble play between the Sykes siblings to know they often ended up sprawling all over each other in a most unmannerly display.

Rush had barely left his sister’s side for weeks after her rescue, and they had sometimes been seen dozing on various sofas and window seats together, limbs tangled and in the oddest positions. Frequently there were signs of rampant pillow fights or other such mischief scattered about the room they were in. The scene was usually accompanied with burst cushions and feathers decorating their hair, looking for all the world like a pair of sleepy kittens.

Rush certainly wasn’t shy about showing affection to others either, even if it was just a clap on the shoulder or a casual nudge and a grin. David had once caught Nora of all people participating in a snowball fight, usual scowl nowhere to be seen, along with Rush, Emmy, Leshau and Gabriel, all of them laughing and acting like they were children.

Trying to ease out of Rush’s grip just wasn’t working, so David relented with a sigh, lying back to think up another approach to this little problem. Honestly, of all the embarrassing situations he’d been in this was one of the oddest and most unexpected.

If anyone had told him a month ago he’d find out his best friend was a _Remnant_ of all things, and that he’d end up being _snuggled_ by him while he was practically high on his own power, the Duke would have sent them to see a professional healer to check for head trauma.

* * *

Several blessedly short minutes later, David had finally succeeded in getting the disoriented teen to sound a bit more coherent, freeing himself and getting them both out of the chamber, securely locking the door behind them and replacing the key.

Thankfully Rush seemed to be perking up slightly, eyes gradually loosing that fever-bright glow that had appeared in the chamber. Leaning heavily against the wall, Rush just watched him put back the key, one hand pressed against his head as though he had a headache.

“Ok, remind me not to do that again until I’ve practiced some more, my head’s pounding like a drum...”

Raising an eyebrow at the slow, still slightly slurred speech, David nodded before pulling Rush off the wall, steadying him when he staggered.

“Duly noted, I’d also like to avoid becoming a pillow again anytime soon. Blocter does enough of that as it is.”

Tactfully ignoring the pink tint that suffused Rush’s face, they started up towards the castle proper before the silence was interrupted by a loud grumbling sound.

“Ah, sorry, I think all that stuff’s made me kinda hungry... Can we stop by the kitchens for something?”

Not feeling up to arguing, or pointing out that dinner was probably only an hour away at most David dutifully steered Rush in the right direction, one hand on his arm to steady him when he stumbled, his legs still wobbly. Thankfully they met nobody on their way, as David had plenty of experience avoiding the castle staff from his childhood years and took particular care to avoid the more populated areas en route.

Entering the kitchen was like a slap to the face after the relative seclusion of the morning so far. Clouds of steam rose from bubbling pots, the crackle of roaring fires and the smell of a dozen different courses all being prepared at once assaulted them. It was an absolute hive of activity, between the shouting of the cooks and the dozens of scurrying servants.

It was enough to make David rock back on his heels, but for Rush the effect was much more pronounced.

When the wall of sound and smells hit him, he stopped dead in his tracks and shuddered, hands curling into fists. Glancing at Rush sidelong, David was shocked to see the expression on his face, a chill of remembered fear running down his spine at the sight while he automatically flinched away.

In those scant few seconds, the teen’s eyes had lost all the lingering luminescence and were now eerily dark, looking more black than grey. Even more alarming was the way his eyes had zeroed in on the nearest servant with an almost predatory intensity. Before he could say anything however, one of the cooks, a large mitra woman named Lucy if he remembered correctly, came bustling over.

“Well, if it isn’t our young Lord and master Sykes. Come to sneak a bit of dessert before lunch?”

The appearance of the cook thankfully served to break Rush’s concentration, though the boy’s eyes were still dark with that same terrible hunger David recognised from the night before. Clamping down on the urge to bolt, the young Duke questioned the wisdom of taking him here, in the face of such evident… temptation. Seeing his friend was still rooted to the spot and now looking quite pale, David made a split second and potentially costly decision.

Reigning in his natural reaction to the situation, David turned to the cook, schooling his expression.

“Actually we were wondering if we could have a little something more substantial, if it’s not too terribly inconvenient. You see we had the unfortunate experience of missing breakfast...”

Tilting his head slightly and letting a small apologetic smile curl the edge of his lips, David saw the cook’s expression melt.

“Oh, you always were a little charmer my Lord. I’ll see what I can come up with, you just sit yourself down here.”

Clearing a spot at the long oak table that dominated the centre of the kitchen, she shooed the kitchen maids away. They scattered like a flock of startled geese before the farmer and with that done the cook beckoned to the boys. When only David moved, she tutted and bustled over to Rush, taking his shoulders and ushering him towards the table.

“Now now young man, don’t be shy, just get yourself seated and I’ll take care of the rest. You won’t get into trouble from me, our Lord has been begging extra dessert from the kitchen since he was knee high!”

Smiling benignly, she was oblivious to the tension in his lean frame and never heard the small, strangled sound that issued from Rush when she pushed him into a seat.

Now very concerned about the obvious struggle going on within the teen, David was nonetheless acutely aware of the hurrying, gossiping servants all around them. Discretely, he nudged the boy under the table to get his attention, trying not to show his own considerable trepidation.

“Rush, I can see you find it difficult, but just… try to hold on a bit longer, the food will just be another moment, then you can get your strength back.”

Starting to look queasy with hunger, Rush nonetheless managed a small, wobbly smile before focusing on the table, not daring to look at anyone out of fear of what he might do.

* * *

On the inside, Rush was barely keeping a handle on his self control, everything that was  _other_ warring with every sense of morality and humanity that he had. The part that identified itself as mitra was screaming in denial, horrified at the fact that  _people_ brought on such hunger, of seeing them in that light in the first place.

 

The other part, the part that was both old and new and changing him more with every hour that passed, urged him to just act, to sate the emptiness clawing at his insides.

The low pain in the pit of his stomach had been bearable, even ignorable when just around Dave. When first confronted with that mass of people in the kitchen however, he felt like he’d been hit by a sledgehammer. Every sense he had went into overdrive and the low ache erupted into a clawing knot of pain.

Focusing on one of the nearest figures, a serving girl, he’d felt mesmerized. He could practically see the living energy flowing within her, her warm scent layered with the smell of fresh bread, honey and sweet meats. All that mixing with the sight and smell of more than a dozen other servants created an almost irresistible aroma. Sucker punched by this barrage of sensations, for one heart stopping moment he didn’t see a mitra girl, didn’t see a _person_ , but a thing, a lesser creature to take and consume.

Thankfully that moment was interrupted before he could do anything unforgivable, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to not leap from his seat and pounce on the nearest person. Having Dave there helped, because he was hell bent on not giving the young man more reason to be afraid of him. Besides, if he did lose control he might hurt David again, and that thought alone was so reprehensible that it gave him the strength he needed.

Before his control could slip any further the cook reappeared, this time toting a large tray. On it was a big plate piled high with newly baked fruit scones, each easily larger than his fist in size, along with a platter of butter and several smaller bowls filled with different kinds of jam. Placing it between them with a flourish, she then produced a pot of tea and two cups and saucers, followed swiftly by a cream jug and sugar bowl.

Barely waiting for her to leave, Rush dug in, tearing through the first scone in seconds and not bothering with any of the trimmings. The second and third ones disappeared a little more slowly, with the addition of some raspberry jam and by the end of the fourth he was eating at a normal pace, a blissful expression crossing his face with each bite.

Trying not to stare, David poured them both some tea, feeling inordinately relieved as his friend’s whole countenance relaxed, his eyes shifting to their usual grey tone, the green flecks almost unnoticeable and colour suffusing his face once more.

Drinking his tea with care, David took a moment to try and relax, residual nerves making his hand tremble slightly. He resolutely did not think about what might have happened had his decision turned out to be wrong, and just tried to enjoy the warm smells and bustling activity around them.

Finally sitting back with a sigh, Rush had a drink of his tea, making a small face at the taste as he’d never been a real fan of the stuff. Dumping in another three spoonfuls of sugar and a splash of cream, he tried it again, this time satisfied with the result.

“Hey, Dave? Thanks, for putting up with all this. Really. I don’t know what I’d have done otherwise.”

Sending a small appreciative smile at the young Duke, Rush busied himself with buttering another scone, feeling the weight of the other’s gaze.

* * *

 

Having managed to bulldoze his way through an impressive six scones, Rush and David finally excused themselves from the kitchens, Rush actually looking slightly embarrassed at the amount he’d managed to put away so quickly.

“I hope you’re feeling better after that, Rush?”

Rubbing the back of his neck rather awkwardly, the teen just nodded, looking a tad ashamed.

“Yeah, thanks Dave.”

There was absolutely _no way_ Rush was telling David that he was _still_ hungry. On a physical level he felt satisfied, though not full, but on a different, deeper level... he felt **_ravenous_**.

Eating normal, everyday food seemed to suppress the hollow yearning though so he’d just have to make a point of eating more at mealtimes now, and maybe snacking in between. He hoped he wasn’t developing a Nora sized appetite, but if it was what he needed to do to keep the deeper hunger at bay…

They still had about an hour until dinner, and with neither wanting to leave the other alone right now, they found themselves making their way to David’s mother’s garden. Entering the covered walkway that ran around the outside edge of the garden, they heard footsteps coming from the garden proper.

To their surprise and Rush’s apprehension, they found Irina pacing anxiously around the fountain. To be honest, Rush had nearly forgotten about his sister due to everything that had happened, and now worried that she might be able to see the difference in him.

Hanging back a bit, Rush let David take the lead, shooting him a slightly unsure glance. Spotting David first Irina stopped her pacing abruptly, clasping her hands and worrying at the folds in her dress.

“Mr David! I… I’m sorry if I’m intruding, but I really need to find my brother. Have you seen him anywhere? I need to speak to him about something, only I can’t find him…”

Gaze sliding past David, she spotted Rush making a half-hearted attempt at hiding behind a pillar.

“Rush! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Bobbing a quick curtsey towards David, Irina grabbed her brother’s arm and took off back into the castle, dragging the protesting teen with her. Left blinking in their metaphorical dust, David was unsure whether he should follow or not, but in the end decided not to. If they missed the midday meal then he’d go looking for them. For now, he’d just take the time to try and relax in the garden. Rush could take care of himself, he was sure.

* * *

“Irina! Would you stop pulling and tell me what’s going on?!”

Stopping outside her rooms the girl flung the door open and pointed inside.

“In, I need to talk to you in private.”

As soon as they were both inside, Irina closed and locked the door, before turning and giving Rush a very hard stare.

“What were you doing earlier? You totally missed breakfast and I couldn’t find you in any of your usual haunts.”

Blinking at her blunt tone and probing look, the teen shifted nervously.

“I was with Dave. Is it a crime to sleep in and go see your friend now?”

Measuring his words, Irina perched on the side of her bed, now adopting a nonchalant tone.

“So you didn’t feel anything weird earlier, like say… the surge of Remnant power from under the castle?”

“Wha…?”

“Because I certainly felt it, and it seemed to me to feel a lot like you do.”

“…”

Seeing the faintly alarmed and uneasy look on his face, she sighed.

“It’s not as though I don’t know what you are, unless you really think I’m **that** blind. Marion’s Blessing, remember? Anyway I know what I felt, so what in the God Emperor’s name were you doing down there, and why did it feel so different than usual?”

Staring at her earnest expression for a moment, Rush sighed and scrubbed one hand over his face, the other creeping up to the back of his neck.

“Ngh… I’m not even going to ask how long you’ve known, you probably knew before I did… Y’see… well… I kinda did something I shouldn’t have, and messed up big time.”

Sneaking a glance at her impatient expression, he very much found he didn’t want to continue, rather nervous of her reaction.

“Rush, don’t you dare clam up on me. If you do I swear I’ll tell Dad about what you were _really_ doing that time you came home at five in the morning last summer.”

Face paling at the prospect of _that_ little escapade seeing the light of day, Rush scowled at her, and got a smug smile in return.

“Fine you little menace, I kinda-unbound-the-Gae-Bolg-on-accident-last-night, ok?”

Deciphering that muttered sentence took her a moment, but when she had the girl stared at him in outright shock.

“How… how do you unbind a Remnant that powerful _by accident_?! Does Mr. David know, surely he must know?! And what do you mean _last night…_ I didn’t feel anything then?”

Forestalling anymore questions with a raised hand, Rush plopped down onto the bed next to her, taping her nose lightly and smirking when she wrinkled it in response.

“Shut it for a sec and let me explain… wait, you _didn’t_ feel anything last night?”

Getting a mute nod in response, the teen raised one brow in surprise.

“Huh, I’d have thought for sure you’d have sensed something. Eh, guess it doesn’t matter right now. Anyway, I suppose you could say I… unlocked… something last night, some sort of power I didn’t know I had. I didn’t really know what I was doing when I unbound the Gae Bolg, I wasn’t exactly thinking straight. Long story short, Dave found out about me (“ _What!_ ” “ _Irina, shush!_ ”), I unbound Kellendros (“ _Who?_ ” “ _The Gae Bolg, now shut up and let me finish_ …”) and she was Not Pleased At All. Dave was going to bind her again, but she threw a hissy fit and tried to squash us instead, so I put a shield ‘round her ‘til she calms down. That’ll be what you felt.”

With that finished, Rush shifted back onto the bed proper, crossed his legs and waited for the explosion. It never came. Instead, Irina was looking at him contemplatively, almost studying him.

“I’m not even going to ask about the nearly being squashed bit, I know how irritating you can be on a daily basis… but since you mentioned it, you do feel a bit different. I didn’t really notice before, but you feel… stronger, more complete, if that makes sense.”

Lifting one hand, she hesitated for a moment.

“Can I…?”

Shrugging, trying not to let the tinge of nervousness seep through, he nodded.

“Okay, but just a peek, no touchy.”

Shooting him a look that screamed ‘why would I do that?’, her face settled into a look of intense concentration, calling on her gift. Hissing faintly in the air, lines of blue-white light unfolded from her skin, meshing together to create an intricately patterned globe around her hand.

Eyes glowing softly with the same light, she stared through him, into him, and he could feel it. He could feel her, just at the edge of his… _essence_ … and closing his eyes he could _see_ her, bright and clear, shining like a little star.

She was so small compared to him, her soul, power or whatever you wanted to call it like a candle flame beside a wildfire. He could tell though, see as clear as day that even with the gulf of differences between them, she still saw _him_. She saw a brother, a protector, and that trust was humbling to the highest degree. He couldn’t really describe it, but he knew with rock solid certainty that she never even _entertained_ the idea that he’d ever hurt her, though he could… so very easily.

Opening his eyes when her felt the touch withdraw, he saw a look of poorly disguised wonder on her face, and when she spoke it was almost with hushed awe.

“Well, you certainly weren’t kidding when you said you unlocked something… there’s so much more than there was before, not just power… I don’t even know how to describe it…”

Preoccupied with what she was saying, Rush didn’t notice her hand inching backwards, grasping for something, and the resulting pillow smacking him in the face was a complete surprise. Falling backwards with an indignant squawk, he heard Irina giggle between her words.

“That doesn’t mean I’m going to let you get a fat head over this, your ego’s inflated enough already! Haha!”

Giving a mock growl that sounded a little _too_ realistic for comfort, though only Irina noticed, he armed himself with the already thrown pillow.

“Heh, those are fighting word little sister, are you prepared to back them up?”

With that, he lunged across the bed, eliciting a squeal from Irina as the mock pillow fight degenerated rapidly into a tickling match.

* * *

Trying to pin a giggling, squirming girl who was giving as good as she got was a lost cause, Rush decided later. Especially when he could barely contain his own laughter through the endeavour. Darting under his guard, his sister found that one spot under his ribs, and…

“Gah, you win, you win! I give up!”

Lying on his back with tears of laughter running down his face, Rush felt Irina flop across his middle in exhaustion, lifting one fist as a sign of victory. After a few moments of breathless, happy silence, Rush felt the girl shifting about trying to get comfy, prodding at him like she would a lumpy cushion. Curling into his side she pillowed her head on his chest before relaxing into the warmth.

“Quite finished?”

“Mhm”

Dozing lightly, neither of the siblings reacted to the midday bell for a minute, unable to fully muster up the will to move.

“Sis, we’re missing dinner.”

“Mhm…”

“We really should move y’know.”

“Mhm…”

I did miss breakfast, so I probably shouldn’t miss another meal.”

“Not my… fault you slept in…”

Sighing at yet another sleepy mumble, Rush tried to summon up the will to rise and finally succeeded. Shifting out from under Irina, the teen pushed himself to his feet, turning and prodding the girl into action.

“C’mon lazy bones, up!”

Getting a raspberry for his troubles, Rush made a face right back, before moving to the door and unlocking it.

“Don’t think I’m done with you yet, big brother. I still want to know just how David found out about you…”

Freezing with the door half open at that almost offhand comment from behind him, he barely noticed Irina breeze past him into the hallway.

“…But I guess that can wait ‘til later!”

Realising he wasn’t following her after a moment, she turned back.

“I thought you were the one that said you were hungry? Come on, or they’ll be finishing dessert by the time we get there.”

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Rush hurried after her, trying to keep the relaxed, comforting air that had done much to ease the tension he felt.

“Hey Irina... race you!”

Those were the magic words, and within seconds both siblings were running for the private dining hall, laughing and teasing with abandon.


	9. Sovani Suspicion and Bitter Remembrance

**_ Previously _ **

_“I thought you were the one that said you were hungry? Come on, or they’ll be finishing dessert by the time we get there.”_

_Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Rush hurried after her, trying to keep the relaxed, comforting air that had done much to ease the tension he felt._

_“Hey Irina... race you!”_

_Those were the magic words, and within seconds both siblings were running for the private dining hall, laughing and teasing with abandon._

 

* * *

Being early to the dining hall, no-one except the odd servant setting the last places was there to disturb him. Strolling over to the tall leadlight windows, David took a seat on one of the deep cushioned sills, the sunlight caressing his face.

Oddly, the warmth reminded him of the night before… though he didn’t give himself the luxury of dwelling on it. He couldn’t appear distracted or his generals… his friends would know something was wrong. Torgal could read him like an open book most days, and Emmy was getting very good at telling his moods now.

Turning from the window, David saw the serving staff had just finished placing the dishes, delicious smells wafting from the loaded plates. Taking his seat, David waited for the others to arrive, absentmindedly playing with a pair of silver sugar tongs.

Despite David’s best efforts, the Sovani general knew within moments of arriving that something was… off. The Marquis-now-Duke’s scent had a fading edge of something strong and bitter-sweet, the archetypal smell of fear. He also appeared distracted, glancing often at the doors as though waiting for something.

Speaking quietly to the young Lord, the Sovani also noticed that he could see the lines of strain etched onto his face, courtesy of the last few weeks of stress.

“My Lord, is there anything troubling you? You appear particularly… wan, today.”

Looking surprised at the direct approach, David shook his head.

“Ah? No, no, nothing that was not already a problem.”

Ears canted in slight disapproval, Torgal studied David’s face intently.

“Forgive me, but your demeanour tells me otherwise, Lord David.”

Shoulders tensing, David turned away from his probing look and took a bite of his boiled potatoes.

“There isn’t anything for you to worry about, there is nothing to be done that is not already being done.”

Hearing the unspoken ‘I don’t want to talk about this’, Torgal took a different approach, well versed in dealing with this kit when he was feeling particularly recalcitrant.

“It concerns me if it impacts your mental and physical wellbeing.”

Looking calmly defiant, David drizzled a little gravy over his whole baby carrots.

“I can assure you I am perfectly healthy…”

Before David could finish his reply however, the doors burst open and two gasping, laughing siblings fell into the room.

“I won!”

“No you didn’t, you tripped me at that last bend…!”

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

Finally noticing they had an audience, both teens abruptly stopped arguing, Irina taking the opportunity to wriggle out of the headlock her brother had her in. Glaring playfully at Rush when he sniggered at her messed up hair, they both got up and went to their seats.

“G’morning.”

Smile playing about her lips, Emmy spoke up, voice deceptively light, eye flicking over Rush’s rumpled attire.

“In case you didn’t realise Rush, it’s afternoon now,  but at least you _finally_ decided to get up today, rather than laze about in bed even longer…”

Here, her gaze slid in David’s direction, smirk tugging at her mouth.

Running one hand through his already unruly hair, Rush only shot her an annoyed look before helping himself to the food.

Not much was said for the rest of dinner, aside from occasional glances between Rush, David and Irina, of which Torgal observed with great interest. He had caught David flinching at either the sound or suddenness of the Sykes entrance, which was quite out of character for the usually composed ruler. The brief looks of question and concern from Rush were also noted and filed away for further inspection.

By the end of the meal, the Sovani general was sure of two things. One, that David had hurt himself somehow, stiffness in his movements and a definite favouring of one shoulder over the other speaking volumes. And two, there was something going on that involved both Rush and Lord David, now he only had to find out what.

Due to Lord David’s busy schedule, made even more busy by his uncharacteristic laziness that morning, Rush was told that he’d have to entertain himself that afternoon. Emmy had looked unusually amused when she said that, and prompted a blush from David while the young Sykes had looked typically clueless.

Passing the boy exiting the dining hall, Torgal caught a whiff of something that made his fur bristle with unease. Nearly masked by the boy’s usual scent were the sharp hint of ozone and the bite of heated metal, so out of place that he nearly called him on it. Those smells didn’t belong together, even in a forge or on the battlefield, so where had he been to acquire both?

* * *

After a solid hour of wandering aimlessly not entirely sure what to do with himself, Rush made his way to the surprisingly spacious tiered gardens that occupied the south edge of Athlum castle. The gardens themselves were quite ingenious, strips of earth arranged like steps all the way down the south face of the massive stone construction.

This design conserved the limited space behind the mighty protective walls that circled Athlum, and allowed them to grow some supplies in the event of a prolonged siege. Sprinkled throughout the gardens were interconnected ponds that, via small channels spread water to the various plants.

Taking a seat by the edge of one of these ponds, Rush watched the sliver bright flashes of the ornamental fish. Some ponds held massive carp, but these fish were much smaller, with long trailing tails and incandescent purple-green scales.

Dangling his fingers in the water, he waited as the small creatures gathered, nibbling at his fingertips cautiously. Wiggling the digits unexpectedly, he smiled when the fish scattered in a watery blur, shocked into hiding by the movement.

Lying back on the grass, Rush stared absently at the clouds, falling into a contemplative stillness that most would say was unusual for him, due to his irrepressible energy. At least two hours passed in this fashion, alternately playing with the fish or staring at the clouds, undisturbed by anyone, servant or otherwise.

Rolling to his feet Rush stretched, curving his spine and rotating his shoulders, quietly revelling in the sensations. Sneaking an apple or two from one of the lower garden’s fruit trees, the teen decided to go and visit the blacksmith, some new ideas for improving his tataraichi brewing in his mind.

* * *

Perhaps Rush should have rethought his decision to go into town, he mused later. He had made it to Xiphos Way easily enough, but not a minute had passed before he was pounced on by a manic pink blur.

“Rushy! I haven’t seen you in, like, ages!”

Staggering under the sudden weight on his back, Rush managed to unhook Khrynia’s arms from around his neck.

“Khrynia! I thought you were in Elysion!”

Bouncing back, the girl waved a hand dismissively.

“As if. The moment I heard about that Conqueror guy making eyes at the place, I hightailed it outa there. With a great dirty army in the way, how would I get my hands on the newest Balterosan fashions?”

Letting the excited girl claim his arm in place of another strangle hold, Rush just sighed as he was nearly yanked off his feet.

“Speaking of, I totally need to show you some of the cool new things in the shops this season! Maybe even get you into something that isn’t from last year’s rejects pile.”

That last comment was accompanied by a scathing glare at his current clothes, as though he had personally offended her by wearing them.

“Khrynia, I don’t really have time for that, I was going to Noyce to see about upgrading my swords…”

“Oh pish, that can wait. You need some help from the fashion guru, stat! Luckily, I am here to help!”

Not sure whether to groan or grin, Rush let himself be dragged off, already mourning his soon to be deceased money pouch.

* * *

Thankfully Khrynia called a brief respite, after one of the tailor’s assistants got a little  _too_ friendly with Rush when the shop owners back was turned. The female assistant was bad enough with her giggling, but if that boy had let his hand drift any further south… Rush wouldn’t be responsible for the ensuing bodily damage. Putting up with the looks and comments from the Bartender was easy enough, being friendly and perfectly harmless in nature, but getting wandering hands from a kid who looked barely fourteen? He drew the line there.

Really, that kid needed to learn the do’s and don’ts of good customer relations.

Relaxing at a table outside a small Melphinan style café that he’d never seen before today, Rush savoured his cold frothy drink. He didn’t know what it was, (and by Khrynia’s shifty look, he guessed he didn’t want to know) but it was very refreshing.

“…Really, you should have gone for some brighter tones, those dark hues just emphasise your pale skin tone, though I suppose some people do go for that…”

Tuning Khrynia’s fashion babble out, Rush snagged one of the light crème filled buns from the selection platter, licking the leftover sweet filling from his fingers. Collecting another three from the plate, he wondered at his sudden sweet tooth. Before, he hadn’t liked sweet sugary things any more than savoury or bitter foodstuffs, but now he couldn’t seem to get enough of them!

Broken from his musings by a lull in the ‘fashion gurus’ chatter, he looked up to see her staring quite intently. One finger still in his mouth from the last bun, he just blinked at her, confused as to the sudden scrutiny.

“You know, you wouldn’t have nearly as much trouble if you didn’t do the clueless cute thing so often.”

As the look of confusion on his face deepened, Khrynia just sighed and launched into another clothes related spiel.

“Anyway, I know you’re a real fan of layering, but while you were… busy in the tailors I nipped out to the shop across the street.”

Rummaging in one of the bags, she pulled out a wrapped package.

“It’s to die for, it really complements your colouring and should bring out the green in your eyes… Though it’s kinda strange, I don’t remember any green there the last time I saw you. But I guess people can change!”

Snapping to attention at that not-so-subtle hint, Rush wondered if everyone he met would work out something was wrong, but the young man couldn’t see anything other than Khrynia’s usual bubbly personality, no other sign that she might have guessed.

“Now, what we are gonna do is march over to that lovely little inn where I rented that room, and you are going to try them on, and then you’re going to reimburse me the cost.”

He could swear he felt his money pouch shrivelling at the thought of having to pay for these ‘to-die-for’ items.

“Them? I thought you mentioned just the one thing?”

Looking totally unrepentant, Khrynia just waved off his concerns.

“Well I couldn’t leave it at just the shirt, you need a matching outfit so I took the liberty.  Now, are you done? Yes?”

Not even given the chance to answer, the girl was a whirlwind of motion, paying the bill, gathering the bags and shooing him out of his chair. He half wondered why he put up with this, but the answer was the same every time he asked that question. She was his.

* * *

 

Escaping was a reluctantly done affair (not that he’d tell anyone he actually started to enjoy trying on his new wardrobe). It left him with no time to visit Noyce, and barely enough to get back to the castle for a bath before the evening meal.

Sinking into the huge claw-footed beast of a bathtub, he relaxed into the heat, bubbles tickling the tip of his nose. He really wasn’t sure how he felt about everything that had happened. He hated the fact that it had been David who suffered the immediate consequences, and it physically _hurt_ to remember what he’d done. On the other hand, he felt more able to protect his friends ( _his chosen_ ), to prevent more harm, stronger and just… more than he had ever been before.

Not wishing to dwell on that subject right now, Rush grabbed the scrubbing brush and leaned forward to do his back. He’d see what changes the next few days brought, and make a choice on what to do then, for he was under no illusions that nearly eighteen years of stunted growth could be overcome in a single day.

* * *

( _The previous night, miles from Athlum_ )

Marina Sykes woke with a shudder of fear, the nightmare of tearing chains and green tinged shadows still playing out before her eyes.  Getting out of the little makeshift cot she pushed back the flap of her tent, listening to the silence of the Siebenbur cave system, broken only by the tread of the sentries. Trying to quell her pounding heart, she retreated back to her cot, taking a drink from the water skin by her bed.

Feeling the sudden trickle of moisture from her nose, she frowned and fished around in her bag for a handkerchief. Maybe the cold air in these tunnels was giving her a cold, she did have a bit of a headache…

Wiping her nose, she was met with an unexpected and unwelcome sight. The cloth was stained red with her blood. Pinching the top of her nose, she wedged the cloth into place to catch the blood, thoroughly puzzled. She hadn’t had a nose bleed in years, the last one she had was…

* * *

 

_(18 years before, the Sacred Lands)_

_The baby, or rather the Remnant masquerading as one, lay quiet in her husband’s arms. Despite her warnings, John was smitten with it, cuddling and playing with it as though it was his own. While he fell for it’s charms more every day, she could barely stand to be near it, it’s presence suffocatingly strong._

_How could he not see it for what it was? It never ate or drank, despite Johns attempts with their own supplies, not even water, but that didn’t deter him. It showed some grasp of emotion, though she wasn’t sure if it was just parroting what it saw from her husband or genuinely feeling them. Even then, even when mimicking laughter, it never made any sound whatsoever._

_When they first found it, it had been like a living doll, face as blank and smooth as porcelain with barely a blink to prove it even lived.  Now it seemed to respond to most things John did with it, smiles and frowns and waving tiny fists and feet. That all stopped when she was alone with it though._

_Like it knew how she viewed it, those eyes were too knowledgeable, too cold. The way it looked at her when she was close, like it knew things no child… no mortal creature could… It made her want to lock it back up in that formless white room, but the scientist in her needed answers._

_Why was this Remnant in the form of a Mitra? How could it have created that body, which felt so real, warm, soft and pliant like true flesh? There had been no Remnant recorded throughout history to have such a unique form, so why was this one so different? There must be a reason, and barely a month before they were due to leave the Sacred Lands she found her answers._

_The pages of the diary were brittle, yet the cool dry atmosphere within the Sacred Lands kept the slim book in near perfect condition, despite the thousand years since it had last been used. What she learned was shocking, sobering, and cast a whole new light on the situation._

_It took some convincing, due to her previous reticence, but she got John to believe she wanted to get used to the baby, so while he did the work they were there to conduct, she was left alone with the little creature._

_By what she could decipher from the increasingly garbled passages near the end of the diary, she couldn’t leave the Remnant within the Sacred Lands, that would be asking for trouble if someone else found it. So, if they were to take it with them when they left, it fell to her to make sure it was safe to be around others._

_Her first attempt at Binding it was a complete failure, it’s power was far too great to be contained like that. Subsequent tries ended in the same fashion, and wonderful, oblivious John was getting concerned about her increasingly frequent headaches._

_Three days before they left, she finally hit upon the idea to try using the Marshall Tablet. She had already begun construction of a stronger prototype, though it was nowhere near ready for use. The original would have to do, though the one she had found in Marshalton was more suited to converting much weaker Remnants. It might just give her the edge she needed in subduing this creature however, so it was worth a shot..._

_Afterwards, staring at the Remnant, she didn’t know how to feel. It worked, but not the way she intended. Instead of a proper Binding, it had only been partial, and had felt very strange, wrong almost… The Remnant seemed to think so too, face reddening before an ear-splitting wail left it’s tiny body, the first sound it had made in all those months. That it was one of pain disturbed her in ways she didn’t want to think about._

_The sound of it’s cries attracted her husband like a magnet, and he was soon rocking it, trying to stop the upsetting screams. Marina left him to it, the tears spilling down baby cheeks making her feel almost guilty for causing it pain. The results were undeniable however, it’s choking presence diminishing measurably, a steady decline that would last for weeks until it was almost unnoticeable._

_Trying to stem the blood flow from her nose, Marina thought a little pain was worth the final outcome._

* * *

Letting the memory wash over her, Marina’s breath caught slightly at the thought that something could be wrong with Rush. Reaching out with the Blessing, she searched for the thin thread that had connected them ever since that day, and felt her heart still with disbelief and growing dread. Where the link should have been… was only an empty space.

Trying to stay calm, Marina thought through the possible causes of the missing connection. The first theory that leapt to mind was that he had suffered some severe injury, bad enough that he had to be revived with vivication herbs or spells.

Despite that rocky start in their relationship she had grown to care for the Remnant, not as much as a true son but it still hurt to think anything might have happened to him. Truth be told in the intervening years she sometimes almost forgot what he was, so diminished his power felt.

She’d be more worried about her boy being hurt if she actually thought he could die. All her knowledge told her Remnants, true Remnants rather than weak Academy creations, couldn’t be destroyed. Surely that applied to Rush, right?

…

Anyway, if that wasn’t the reason, she could only think of two other scenarios that might provide the right conditions to break the Binding, and both sent chills up her spine. One was that Wagram or the Conqueror had used the pilfered Marshall Tablet to interfere with the partial Bond, which was bad enough. The other was that Rush had somehow broken it on his own… Either way, she needed to get back to Athlum. The thought of all that power released and free of any restrictions was terrible.

What if the boy reverted to that cold creature he had first been? If he forgot or wiped away the experiences and emotions that made him act human and remembered what she had done to him… Might he choose to take it out on her daughter in lieu of Marina? It was a horrifying thought, one she couldn’t let play out ever.

How would she get back quickly enough though? Her team was miles from civilisation, and the nearest city was the still decimated Nagapur! Maybe she could use the transport Remnant they located the camp near to jump to Nagapur? After a moment of stillness her mind pounced on the idea, calculations flashing through her head as she realised how she could use this.

She had enough working knowledge of that type of false-Remnant to know that, theoretically, they were all connected, even though the average person could only transport a mile or so. She wasn’t normal though, and there was a reason she was considered one of the Academies foremost researchers.

If her idea worked ( _with the Blessing to hurry things along_ ) she could cut hours off the journey by transporting between other points in the network, like using a short cut. It would still take a day if not more to get there, but rather that than weeks of travel on foot.

Gathering her things she sped out of her tent to tell the research team to head for Nagapur. Without her with them they should be able to pass the guard station into Nagapur safely. There was no time to waste, so she left most of her belongings for the team to take. She didn’t have the Tablet to use, but if she was quick he should still be weak enough for her to take the upper hand.

For once, she was glad John was out of the way in Balterossa studying their archives. Doing what might need to be done would be much more difficult with her husband cautioning her against anything ‘rash’. He was such a bleeding heart sometimes, but that was why she loved him.

By the time the rest of the research team was up and about, Marina was gone, the only evidence of her abrupt departure was the still crackling transport device, intricate disks steaming with the discharge of energy.

* * *

In Athlum, the Sun had nearly set, painting the sky a gorgeous rosy pink shot through with streaks of gold. In his room, Rush was staring at the row of items laid out on his chest of drawers. They didn’t look anywhere near as powerful as they actually were, but that was how it was with many Remnants.

After the evening meal he had retreated to his rooms, mostly to escape from Torgal’s speculative glances. Dave hadn’t been there anyway, apparently taking it in his rooms to catch up on some paperwork. He really didn’t envy the guy if just sleeping in could cause that much build up of extra work.

Back to the matter at hand, he examined the Remnants arrayed before him. He had quite a collection now, not including the ones that had been requested by some of his friends/hired fighters. Blood Chalice and Wonder bangle, both in bracelet form, Dead Heart and Heartache in the shape of rings, the chain-like Simarrionne and Flachonelle, plus the weapon Remnants Schiavona, Malystrix and Daedalus.

He didn’t know where the urge came from, but he’d set about collecting them together as soon as he’d closed the door to his room. With some measure of surprise, Rush realised he could feel them, little (comparatively) heartbeats of life and power. Like butterfly wings, he could sense the flutter of curiosity coming from the Remnants, some louder than others.

The bracelet shaped Blood Chalice, the one that had been with him the longest other than the Talisman, was ‘shouting’ the loudest, demanding his attention. Picking it up he was utterly bemused to feel smugness rolling off the trinket, the nonverbal equivalent of a ‘ha-I-got-picked-first-nya-nya’.

The Simarrionne’s gentle blue glow promptly turned an angry purple in response, chain vibrating slightly, and Rush felt he’d just been made aware of a long standing feud between the two. Going to place the bracelet back on the wood surface, said Remnant expressed it’s displeasure at the action. It moved, small form undulating like a snake as it slid between his fingers to wrap tightly around his wrist, ignoring his yelp of surprise.

Trying to undo it did no good, for the clasp acted as though welded shut, not giving an inch. Trying to roll it off his hand just prompted it to constrict, pinching the skin. Realising after that he probably wouldn’t get the clingy little Remnant off without losing his hand, he gave up. Eh, he’d leave it be for now, and ask if Irina couldn’t persuade it to let go in the morning.

Going to snatch something sweet from the kitchens in the event he needed a midnight snack, he missed the barely audible whisper that brushed his consciousness.

“ _Not a chance kid, you’re not getting me off that easily._ ”

* * *

That night the heavens were veiled by clouds, but the darkness was briefly pushed back by a crackle of light. The figure that appeared in it’s wake hissed a sharp breath as she felt what she had feared the most. Using skills from her days as a street orphan, she slid past the guards, and made her way to the castle, objective clear.

* * *

Fast asleep, the teen didn’t hear his bedroom door open, nor the slow, soft tread of purposeful footsteps on the plush carpet. He stirred briefly when the mattress dipped, and rolled towards the disturbance. A hand brushing the hair from his forehead made him mumble in his sleep, before calming at the familiar voice, not alarmed in the slightest.

“Shh, it’s just me. No need to wake up. Sleep for me, and I’ll make it all go away…”

Reassured by the familiarity, he didn’t react when the complex patterns of light first appeared and afterwards, he couldn’t. He couldn’t scream, couldn’t kick, couldn’t get away from the agony, like a scalpel carefully cutting away at his heart. The only thing that did escape were faintly luminous tears, shining blue like the eyes beneath closed lids.


	10. Betrayal and Lurking Death

** _Previously:_ **

_Fast asleep, the teen didn’t hear his bedroom door open, nor the slow, soft tread of purposeful footsteps on the plush carpet. He stirred briefly when the mattress dipped, and rolled towards the disturbance. A hand brushing the hair from his forehead made him mumble in his sleep, before calming at the familiar voice, not alarmed in the slightest._

_“Shh, it’s just me. No need to wake up. Sleep for me, and I’ll make it all go away…”_

_Reassured by the familiarity, he didn’t react when the complex patterns of light first appeared and afterwards, he couldn’t. He couldn’t scream, couldn’t kick, couldn’t get away from the agony, like a scalpel carefully cutting away at his heart. The only thing that did escape were faintly luminous tears, shining blue like the eyes beneath closed lids._

* * *

In the darkened room no one was there to witness the scene, no one but the other Remnants. Blood Chalice who was still clinging to Rush’s wrist, instantly tried to interfere. Unfortunately it was rebuffed easily by the experienced Blessing user, the woman all but ignoring the little Remnant. Panicked jabs at the boy only got a faint whine of pain as a response, and the little bracelet was in a tizzy about what to do.

Realising that it needed help it called out to the other Remnants in the room, who were also humming with distress. Relaying a brief plan, Blood Chalice and the other Remnants **_screamed_** in perfect synchronisation. The effort produced a truly unearthly sound, a deep bellowing wail of desperation loud enough to shake the stone around them.

The bone deep vibrations were loud enough to wake half the castle, though most didn’t realise what it was. Some even thought it was thunder and just tried to ignore it.

The severity of the noise was almost enough to make Marina withdraw from her self-appointed duty. Though the glowing, hissing lines of light wavered they didn’t collapse and Marina was able to squash the desire to cover her ears and flee.

Just a few rooms away however, Irina nearly fell out of her bed, nerves buzzing like she’d been electrocuted. Severely disoriented the young girl took a moment to realise what she was hearing, and more importantly what she was feeling.

“What…? Why… can I feel the Blessing, Mum isn’t here, is she?”

Tottering groggily out of her room, she followed the sound, breaking into a run when she realised it was coming from Rush’s rooms.

Two corridors away, David was woken abruptly from his sleep by the unbelievable noise, groggily wondering why there was a dragon screaming at four in the morning. Sitting up he resisted the urge to clap a pillow over his head as he untangled himself from his sheets, but only barely.  Hearing the door his head jerked up, to be met with the sight of two purple orbs blinking up at him from knee height.

“Mr. Diggs? What…?”

The little creature was clearly agitated, hopping from foot to foot and beckoning with both front paws. Bleeping and whistling urgently, it pushed the door wide before jumping and vanishing in its signature sparkle of light.

Realising that the noise had stopped David didn’t waste any time, leaping out of bed to grab his sword. He knew the only reason Mr. Diggs would come to him alone meant that something was amiss with Rush. Tearing out of his room, David spotted the little mechanoid digger at the end of the hall and followed it, grim thoughts running through his mind.

Arriving seconds after Irina, he found himself temporarily struck dumb. At first glance the tableau seemed quite peaceful, a mother watching her child sleep. The cold blue-white light illuminating the scene however, cast the tear streaked face in stark relief. It highlighted Rush cringing in agony beneath the hands of the woman who had raised and cared for him all his life. It was a sickening sight to behold.

“Mum no! Stop it, you’re hurting him!”

Flying across the space between them, Irina latched onto her mother’s arm, trying to pull her away. Mr. Diggs joined in, leaping into the fray with a squeaky battle cry, grasping the woman’s hair and tugging in an effort to help.

The woman was stronger than she appeared though, shaking both girl and pseudo-animal off, the Blessing’s shining pattern unwavering.

“Don’t interfere Irina, it needs to be done. I won’t lose him or let him hurt you. I won’t let that creature take over!”

Speechless at the impassioned response from her mother, Irina just sat where she’d fallen, unable to comprehend what was happening. David meanwhile had shaken off his stupor, drawing his sword and advancing.

“Stop what you are doing Mrs. Sykes, and get away from Rush. If you don’t I will be forced to remove you… unconscious if need be.”

With barely a glance at the naked blade now inches from her throat, Marina turned back to Rush, speaking to David over her shoulder.

“I’d have thought you would understand the necessity of this, Duke. You know all too well the dangers of Remnants, why they must be Bound.”

Incensed at the casual naming of her own son as a dangerous Remnant, David’s hand went white knuckled around the grip of his sword. Two seconds later she slumped to the ground, out cold from the pommel strike to her head.

The moment her concentration broke and the Blessing’s patterns faded, the teen in the bed shuddered violently, finding his voice in a thin, keening wail. Scrambling for her brother, Irina felt tears gather in her eyes at the heartbreaking look of confusion and betrayal painting his face.

Reaching out to him, he flinched away at first before hesitantly accepting the embrace, breathing strained and body tense as a strung bow. Tearing his gaze from the woman sprawled on the floor, David turned his eyes to the siblings huddled on the bed. Seeing the unasked question in both faces, he just shook his head. He didn’t know how she could be so callous to her eldest child any more than them.

Moving over, David put a hand on Rush’s back in a gesture of comfort. That touch seemed to be the trigger to open the floodgates though, as the teen lost control of his tears. Quiet sobs turned into harsh wounded cries as he burrowed into his sister’s arms, seeking familiarity in the face of such betrayal. Knowing Rush needed support above all else right now, David took a seat and stretched an arm around both siblings. Irina clung to her brother almost as fiercely as he was her, losing her own battle with tears soon after Rush.

Running her hand through her brother’s hair in an effort to comfort him, Irina almost didn’t hear the faint words.

“…hurts…”

Cuddling closer, she just nodded.

“I know, Mums aren’t meant to do that… it’s all wrong!”

Shaking his head, Rush pulled away slightly, face paling to a sickly grey.

“No… it hurts!”

Lifting one hand to grip the cloth over his heart, Rush slumped back with a whimper, prompting alarm from both Mitra. Irina, even as shaken as she was didn’t hesitate, touching the crystal lamp to bring it to full brightness before pulling the nightshirt up to expose his chest. The skin across most of his chest and inching up his neck was red, inflamed like he had been sunburned. That was startling enough, but the thin silvery lines that formed clearly recognisable Remnant symbols were worse.

They looked almost like old scars, but ones Irina had never seen before. She had seen her brother enough times at home to know those marks hadn’t been there before… or hadn’t been visible.

The frightening thing was that there were so many, the skin around them raised and angry looking. The scars themselves also seemed to have an almost metallic quality in the lamplight. David she saw was trying to mask the look of horrified curiosity on his face.

Rush meanwhile was just trying to shut out the pain, the stabbing, nauseating ache that attacked with each beat of his heart.

Hearing running feet in the corridor, David swept to the door, intercepting the small group of soldiers. A few quick words later and Marina had been removed to a more secure room, to be kept under house arrest for the time being. A runner was also sent to find Pagus, on the off chance that his healing expertise could be of use for Rush.

* * *

“Well, I don’t really know what to say. To put it bluntly, I don’t know what’s wrong with the poor boy. Without the healing spells all I can do are treat the obvious symptoms.”

Utterly perplexed, Pagus finished spreading the pungent paste over the raised, reddened skin of Rush’s chest.

All his attempts at diagnostic and healing incantations had slid off the boy like water off a duck’s back. Nothing was working and the experienced healer just didn’t know why.

That wasn’t to say he didn’t have other methods, far from it. However a stethoscope, thermometer and other sundry doctor’s items just didn’t provide the same exacting detail as the internal visualisation a diagnostic spell gave. Rush wasn’t coherent enough to give any proper answers to his medical questions, and Irina too anxious.

The flummoxed qsiti didn’t even know what had caused this, neither the young Miss Sykes nor Lord David willing to divulge the necessary information. The only thing they would admit to was that it was apparently Rush’s own mother that had inflicted the mystery ailment. The Remnant symbols were truly peculiar, many of which were new to him. It was disturbing to think of how they might have been created, and how long ago given that Irina swore she’d never seen them before today.

Rush himself was frighteningly wan, head nodding dozily between winces. He was barely able to resist the urge to just curl up and sleep despite the pain. His whole body ached, limbs wobbly as limp noodles and he felt utterly _exhausted_. His head also hurt, the bright lights of the healing ward stinging his eyes.

He didn’t even have the energy to think about what had happened, vaguely aware of someone propping him up while Pagus bandaged his torso. Dave was nearby, dim with anxiety while Irina bled confusion and sadness from somewhere behind him.

He wanted to tell them not to worry, that he just needed to sleep… but he didn’t know how. Words were beyond him for the moment, and his tired mind didn’t realise how strange it was that he knew where everyone was and how they were feeling. Especially since his eyes were closed…

“There now, let’s get you to bed before you fall over. Without knowing more, all I can recommend is rest, and hope this clears up itself.”

Practically lifted into a bed in the healing ward, Rush was sound asleep by the time the sheets were tucked around him.

* * *

That sleep would last for nearly two weeks. In that time reopened wounds that never had the chance before began to fully heal. Connections were made and irrevocable changes began, both in body and soul. Meanwhile, below the castle…

* * *

“Would you stop doing that! We’re on guard duty, not nap duty, ya numbskull.”

Cuquenos whacked his partner over the head with his sceptre. He was one of the pair of Celapaleian guards assigned to the Gae Bolg’s underground resting place. Of all the places to be assigned it had to be Athlum, which he personally thought of as a backwater pigsty of a city. Naturally, to go with this he was assigned the laziest mitra in the Celapaleian guard as a partner.

“Keith!”

Another wallop dislodged the Mitra from his precarious position on a broken topped stalagmite, lance slipping out of his grasp and hitting the ground with a clatter.

“Damn it ya midget qsiti, stop hitting me! It’s not as if we ever get to do anything down ‘ere.”

After a good round of insults, the two went back to ignoring one another. It wasn’t easy to do, with nothing but the underground scenery to hold their attention. Their post was at the second (and last) set of massive doors leading to the Remnant cannon’s cavern, and boredom was a constant companion.

Half an hour later and Keith was frowning, head tilted while he stared at the huge inner doors, lit by glow crystals set into the ironwork frame.

“Hey Cook, d’you hear anythin’?”

The tick by Cuquenos eye just got worse at that blatant mangling of his name.

“If I’ve told you once I’ve told you a thousand times, it’s Cuquenos! **Cu-que-nos**! Now _what_ are you talking about you poor excuse for a hairless imp. We’re underground, why would there be anything to hear?”

Ignoring the deadpan snark from the qsiti, the Mitra laid his ear flat against the doors listening intently.

“Exactly, so why can I hear some dame singing?”

Huffing, Cuquenos hopped over, interested despite himself. True enough, he could just faintly hear a soft, lilting voice emanating from deeper in the cave system.

“C’mon, help me open this thing.”

The qsiti just stared at his partner for a moment, the man struggling to operate the complicated mechanism for opening the massive doors.

“Well?! We can’t not check this out, no one should’a got past these doors. Besides that, don’t you want ta take a peek at that Gae Bolg, see what’s so special ‘bout it?”

Grumbling death threats under his breath, Cuquenos never the less helped his overeager partner open the doors, the aged wood groaning under its own weight. With the doors open the voice was much clearer, a low ethereal chanting that seemed to draw them in. Entranced, they followed the singing, their weapons dropping unnoticed to the ground.

Coming to the main chamber, they didn’t see the cracked floor or the cooled slag from the melted chains. The only had eyes for the Remnant, glimmering form devoid of any protective shield to stop Kellendros influence.

“It’s beautiful…”

Shuffling forward, they gazed at the shimmering golden shape, eyes glazed with enchantment. The low chant continued until Keith stumbled on the uneven marble, both hands slapping against the humming cannon’s side as he caught his balance.

Instantly the voice stopped. Keith surfaced from the enchantment just long enough to see the bright glow from the Remnant sweep up his arms, suffusing his body. In his mind an intruding voice spoke, soft and cold and utterly malicious.

“ _Hello little Mitra, how nice of you to come and visit me. Unfortunately I can’t let you leave, but I never planned to let you escape anyway. You see, I haven’t had a real meal in, oh… several centuries at least, and I’m very hungry… starving even. So you’re just what I need_.”

Confused but not really scared yet, Keith tried to pull away but found his body frozen in place, unable to move.

“ _Tsk, what a weakling you are, the world will be better off without you. Still, you should be satisfying enough after centuries of nothing but crumbs. Now, be a good boy and **let me devour you**_.”

Panic finally sparking to life in his brain, Keith only had time to register the sensation of **_cold_** and **_pain_** and being ** _swallowed up by searing, smothering light_** …

Cuquenos was still trying to clear his head when he noticed Keith. The Mitra was twitching jerkily against the Remnant, hands clawing at the metal. His mouth opened in a silent scream before his whole body spasmed twice, back arching almost to the point of breaking. Then it was over, a loud sigh escaping his parted lips before he dropped to the ground, dead.

Too confused to realise the danger he was in, Cuquenos crept over, shaking the body’s arm.

“Hey Keith, you okay? …stop joking around, we need to get out of here.”

Leaning back to peer around the cavern, the qsiti’s shoulder touched the Gae Bolg and he heard an alien voice resonating in his head.

“ _Mm, I’d forgotten how delicious they are when they’re whole… and how they **squirm**. If only I had a few more and it would be a veritable banquet! Oh, I can’t wait to sink my claws into my sweet, sweet David with that pathetic excuse for a Remnant forced to watch… Ah ah ah, don’t run away now little qsiti, it’s rude to leave before a meal is finished..._ ”

* * *

Due to their posting rotation, the guards absence wasn’t noticed until a week later. Their replacements found the inner doors wide open and weapons abandoned. Rather than fetching their superior, the new guards ventured into the tunnels beyond, hoping to find them…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehee! I know this chappy is short, but it really wanted to end with Kelly getting some screen time and (she insisted) a four course meal. Keith and Cuquenos are real characters from the game, available for hire from the Celapaleis branch of the Union of the Golden Chalice. New chap is already underway, and the ball is really rolling now. Marina has no idea what events she’s set in motion…  
> Keep in mind Rush is too out of it and Irina too worried to feel Kellendros eating those poor soldiers, and Marina is being kept isolated for the time being.


	11. A Dream or Something More?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A certain deadly blonde is looming on the horizon of this story, and it’s about time he appears I think. The canon end-of-game is nearing, but it’s only the beginning in this tale…

**_ Previously: _ **

_Due to their posting rotation, the guards absence wasn’t noticed until a week later. Their replacements found the inner doors wide open and weapons abandoned. Rather than fetching their superior, the new guards ventured into the tunnels beyond, hoping to find them…_

 

* * *

If David didn’t know any better, he would swear gossipers were a worse threat than the Conqueror now. Despite his best efforts the rumours from that night had already spread via the castle staff.

The version making the rounds now was that Hermeien had managed to resurrect himself from the dead for a second time and that he was behind ‘Sir’ Rush’s current condition. How he would manage such a thing when the Conqueror had reduced him to a bloody smear in Koenigsdorf, David didn’t know. He was just glad the rumour mills were so far off the mark this time.

Sighing, David sat back and glared at his desk. He couldn’t concentrate; his mind was just too full of unanswered questions. It really didn’t help that the missive on his desk was a request for aid from Royotia, circulated to all members of the Congress.

Apparently the Conqueror had attacked the city some two weeks prior and taken the Emeth Tag. By all accounts he just walked in and took it, reminiscent of Athlum’s own experience. As a result Mt Altona, the volcano Royotia was built around, was rumbling ominously and giving all the warnings of an imminent eruption.

Serious consideration had to be given to the fallout, depending on the scale of the eruption. The humanitarian cost of this event would likely be substantial, as many older people were apparently refusing to leave their homes despite the danger. As it was the neighbouring cities would have to accommodate Royotian citizens until the crisis was over.

Even then the cost of rebuilding must be taken into account, if Royotia was still liveable after the volcano had vented its wrath. There was a high likelihood that most of the city would end up buried under ash or lava before the volcano calmed again.

As if that wasn’t bad enough it had been nearly two weeks since Mrs. Sykes unwelcome arrival, and still no sign of waking from Rush. Against his better judgement David had sent a letter to John Sykes, only saying that there had been an incident concerning his son, and that his presence was required immediately. He had sent it via messenger hawk to speed it’s delivery, so the man should arrive next week bar no complications.

The military deadlock the Conqueror had imposed on all trade routes leading to and from Elysion had been lifted somewhat, restrictions only applying to soldiers and nobles now, so John Sykes should get past easily.

The thing that was really frustrating David was Marina Sykes’ continued silence. He had visited her several times over the week and she refused to speak. The only time she had said anything to him was the first visit, and what she said was disturbing to say the least…

* * *

_Nodding to the guards standing watch, David unlocked the door before letting himself in. The room itself was a small storage room, bereft of any windows or other avenues of escape. The woman he had come to see was sitting on an upturned crate, eyes closed._

_“Are you going to explain yourself Mrs. Sykes?”_

_David’s abrupt words didn’t even make the woman twitch, as though she didn’t hear him, or just chose to ignore him completely._

_“Marina Sykes, I asked you a question.”_

_Still nothing._

_“Am I therefore to assume that you had no reason for attacking your son last night, an act that had your daughter in tears afterwards?”_

_That got a response, but not exactly one he was looking for._

_“Irina shouldn’t have interfered, what I was doing was for everyone’s good.”_

_Now **that** got David’s back up, though he didn’t show it._

_“So you call intentionally hurting your own son a beneficial act?”_

_At this the woman snorted dismissively, flicking a piece of hair from her forehead._

_“That boy was never my son, all I did was try to stop him from becoming a danger.”_

_“!”_

_Stopped cold by those callous words, David didn’t get to voice his disbelief before the woman finally turned to look at him, eyes calculating._

_“You know what he is, I can sense him all over you. You know that he was no fruit of my womb, yet you think I could ever see him as my own? When before I bound him the first time I could barely stand to be near him? What I did was to keep my daughter safe. I though you knew the dangers of Remnants, after all the Gae Bolg drained your father dry before it killed him, didn’t it? You watched him waste away long before the end.”_

_That nearly sent David over the precariously thin line of his control, fists clenching white knuckled behind his back. He was rapidly revising his opinion of Marina Sykes as a strict but kind woman. What he now thought was not fit for polite company, and though she was anything but, he would not give her the pleasure of seeing his composure break._

_“Does your husband think the same as you? I know Irina does not.”_

_The cold, stiff tone was all he could manage, anger burning brightly behind his façade._

_“No, both my husband and daughter see only what they wish to see. John was smitten with the child from the word go… he never saw what I did… Having Irina see Rush as a brother was useful, it made him want to protect her, not something I’d interfere with willingly.”_

_Capitalising on her strangely talkative mood, David tried to gain some more information._

_“Why do you see Rush as dangerous? He’s kind, he’s friendly, he loves his family…”_

_“He’s a Remnant that has broken his binding, he’ll revert to what he was when I first found him if I don’t reapply it.”_

_Feeling he was close to some potentially valuable information, David asked the obvious question._

_“What did you find…?”_

_“I know you’re just fishing for information, but I’ll indulge your curiosity, if only in the hope that you see sense and let me finish what I started. I found a doll, an **empty thing** lacking in everything that could be termed human. Yet even then it’s power was staggering. It needed to be controlled, and it was too dangerous to lock back up where I found it. I know you’re fond of it and consider it a friend, but all you’ve seen is the surface, the exterior shell.”_

_Her face at that point took on an almost haunted cast, every word deadly serious._

_“You don’t know what’s hiding inside. You don’t even know why or how it looks like a Mitra…”_

* * *

After that she clammed up. He couldn’t get anything more out of her, despite multiple attempts. Her words now reverberated inside his head like some dire warning, though he really didn’t want to take heed of her words.

In truth, David was almost glad of the opportunity this occurrence afforded him, despite his worry. It was precious time to sort through his feelings and deal with the lingering mental trauma and stress recent events piled on him.

Though it tinged his thoughts with guilt, seeing Rush that vulnerable had actually helped him come to terms with some of his recent irrational impulses. The teen wasn’t something to fear, he could easily be hurt and needed care and protection as much as any person. He was kind and helpful, gregarious to a fault and David would do his best to remember that in the future.

Massaging his temples, the Marquis set about calculating what aid Athlum could muster at the current time.

* * *

That evening, David made time to visit Rush, like had done every night for the past week. As with every other visit, Irina was already there, dozing lightly. Aside from meal times she was always there, waiting for some sign that Rush would wake up.

Settling into the chair opposite the girl, David knew there had been no change by her expression, pinched even in sleep. She had refused the chance to speak to her mother, the betrayal hurting too much to face. Irina’s visage had become pale and haggard with worry these past two weeks, David’s own reflecting this, though to a lesser degree.

Everyone was growing more concerned about her health, David especially about her state of mind. While she might pretend otherwise she was still a child, one who had been kidnapped, seen the ugliness of battle and now been betrayed in the worst possible way.

David honestly wanted to throttle the woman who caused this, though protocol dictated otherwise. How could she do this to her family? Speaking of Marina, she hadn’t made any attempts to escape yet, which the Marquis had honestly been expecting. It was worrying, not knowing what she was planning…

Pushing such thoughts away for the moment, David let himself be lulled by the soft crackling of the fire, gradually drifting off to sleep.

* * *

That night, David dreamed. He was walking through a forest, one quite unlike any he could remember. Yet it also felt so familiar, almost like his mother’s garden… Everything was green and golden, the lush growth radiant with heat and light that he could feel on his bare skin. There was no path to follow, but all the same he knew where he was going. Weaving between the trees with barely a care, he didn’t notice that some of the trees were dead, trunks cracked and desiccated.

Coming to a break in the trees, he found himself in front of a shallow basin, an unnatural dip hewn from solid rock by some unknown force. The walls were largely bare save for some patches covered in verdant moss, but one side of the bowl was split by a jagged crack in the rock. As he descended into the basin, he saw that from its black interior seeped something viscous and inky. The mystery substance trickled down and collected into a deep pool that split the hollow in half with its size.

Stopping not far from the liquid’s edge, where the land terminated in a sharp drop of several feet, David found he didn’t want to get any closer. Something about the stillness of that dark body unnerved him. Looking up to the far side of the hollow he could see that it opened up back into the forest. Dead brown grass carpeted the ground in the immediate area around the pond, highlighting the absence of anything green, save for one thing.

Blinking, it took him a moment to realise that there was more than vegetation on the other side. There was a person standing on the opposite bank, staring back at him. The figure looked relaxed, but there was a stillness about him that bordered on unnatural. He didn’t even blink, just watched David with veiled interest.

“…Rush…?”

It was Rush… or at least he _looked_ like Rush, but something about him was subtly different, older and with an air of calmness that David didn’t usually associate with the energetic teen…

He wore an outfit that sparked remembrance in David, even though he’d only seen part of it before. The top was similar to a formal tunic, fitted around the body with a high stiff collar. The cloth was a deep green, dull like brushed velvet on the body but with the sheen of satin or silk on the arms.

Bright silver thread trimmed the collar and outlined a flowing design that extended over the shoulders and down each arm. The sleeves themselves were long and billowy and exactly like he remembered. The lower half was clad in loose dark grey trousers, covered by a strange half-coat (similar to what Emma used to wear) the same malachite hue as the tunic, which draped about the hips and ended mid-calf.

Seeing the half remembered figure in it’s entirety, David was struck by the thought that he must be dreaming, despite feeling perfectly awake.

“ _Hey Dave, did you want to see me?_ ”

The other’s voice was most peculiar, two-toned, like more than one person was speaking at once.

“So it is you… Are you real? I fear I must be dreaming, for how could this be happening otherwise? The last I saw you were sleeping so deeply no one could wake you.”

Shifting his weight back on one leg, Rush propped one hand on his hip, striking a very familiar pose.

“ _Yeah, I’m real… or at least I think I am. Then again, I’d probably say that even if I wasn’t real… err… Okay, now I’m confusing myself. Anyway you don’t need to worry; I’m not hurt anymore, just… resting. I think you managed to call out to me, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. To be honest, I didn’t think you would want to see me… like this… so soon after you freed me.”_

Ignoring the puzzling little gesture Rush made to the rest of his body, David studied the thick tarry fluid of the pool, looking for a way around it.

“Rush, do you know what this is, or see a way around it?”

David was set on finding a way across, wanting to ascertain for himself that his friend was as hale and healthy as he appeared, even if it was only a dream.

“I really don’t want to swim across, something about it seems… unnatural, sinister even…”

As soon as the words left David’s mouth he knew them to be true. The pool separating the two repulsed him, wrongness seething from its ebon depths. He was wary of it, and knew it shouldn’t be there.

The other said nothing, inspecting the ooze with a frown of concentration on his face, before crouching at the shore and stretching out a hand to sample the stuff. Seeing this, the David started forward only to freeze at the pool’s edge, nearly slipping in due to his momentum.

“Wait! Don’t touch it!”

Pausing, the other shook his head, quite serious.

“ _You’re right, I think… I think this is the hole Kellendros left when I removed her… It shouldn’t be like this though, it should be healing… Whatever this gunk is it’s stopping the hole from closing up. It’s probably dangerous, you’d best leave it alone and see if it disappears on it’s own_.”

Studying the rim of the pool, David saw there truly was no way around, the thick liquid stretching unbroken the whole length of the basin.

“Can’t you help me get rid of it, rather than leave it?”

David didn’t know why he said it, and the startled look that crossed Rush’s face wasn’t the outright no he’d been expecting. Face twisting into an uneasy expression, Rush leaned back on his haunches, hands fisting in his clothes.

“ _I… don’t think you’ve realised what you just asked me to do. It’s not that I can’t help, I’d love to… but d’you **really** want me messing around with you again? I mean, it’s your soul we’re talking about here…_ ”

Before David could fully appreciate the impact those words had, the ground beneath his feet crumbled, sending him plunging into semi-gelatinous cold. It happened so quickly, yet he felt each second as an eternity.

Even through his clothes he felt it, breath leaving him as the black liquid soaked to his skin, stealing the heat from his veins and vitality from his body.  It seemed to suck him in eagerly, and left him feeling so, so empty…  Unable to gain purchase on the sheer rocky wall he was pulled deeper, sinking up to his neck in the oily fluid’s chilling embrace before he felt what seemed to be the bottom.

“ _Dave!_ ”

He didn’t see the look of shock and alarm cross Rush’s face.

Shuddering from the unbelievable cold creeping through him like poison, he felt his strength deserting him, a dreadful sense of apathy weighing him down. Hands sinking into what might have been mud below he felt it give way, plunging his head under as any semblance of terra firma vanished. Inhaling in shock he felt the stuff invade his mouth and throat, sticky like congealed monster blood. Yet he didn’t fight it, unable to sum up the needed energy to even care.

Why bother? Everything would stop if he just let go, no more worries or troubles to care about, no sleepless nights… He could just leave it all behind…

…

…

…

Something bothered him about that last thought, in a way he couldn’t quite pinpoint. There were things he had to do, important things and people that needed him, weren’t there? Twisting weakly, he tried to find the surface, hands clawing ineffectually at the suffocating sludge pressing in around him.

Which way was up? He didn’t know, because everything was black, not a speck of light to be seen. Unexpectedly he felt a tug at his collar, and before he could react he was hauled out of the depths by the scruff, the poisonous slime releasing him with a reluctant _slurp_. Dropped on the bank he flopped onto his side, choked up oily fluid and shuddered, feeling as weak as a half drowned kitten.

Limbs splayed haphazardly on the grass, he coughed out another mouthful of liquid, nearly sick at the sensation. Dimly, he was aware of Rush cursing quietly in the background, seemingly the one who had pulled him out. He only caught a few words, such as “… _should’ve seen something like that would happen_ …” and “… _wouldn’t have been that close if it wasn’t for me_ …”

Cheek pressed against the earth, he focused on evening out his breathing, still short and staccato from his dip. Hearing movement beside him, he was unsurprised when a hand appeared on his forehead. The glorious warmth it exuded almost had him groaning out loud, and he shamelessly leaned into it, earning an amused (and exasperated) cough from Rush.

Lifting one fumbling hand to scrape the foul stuff off his face, he found it gently caught and pulled aside, the teen’s fingers catching his chin while a soft cloth wiped his face clean. Just like his mother (and then Emma) used to do for him as a child.

Unable to give much more than a token protest, which was summarily ignored, he realised something odd was going on. He could feel something pricking lightly against the skin on the underside of his jaw, sharp but gentle. It corresponded to the position of the fingers holding his chin.

He focused on the greater oddity however. The hand on his forehead was now busily occupied cleaning his face, while the other hand was holding his chin… so why could he still feel something circling his wrist?

Rather than open his eyes straight away, he twisted the held appendage and got a grip on whatever was round his wrist. His first impression was that it was very warm, but didn’t have the same softness as skin. The second was how smooth it seemed, flawlessly so, like polished metal despite the slight give beneath his fingers.

Feeling the cloth finish its job he opened his eyes, then almost wished he hadn’t. His vision at first seemed horribly blurred, nearly enough to give him a headache. Once it cleared however, it was a different story.

Squinting at the confusing image, it was like David’s eyes were seeing two things at once, both occupying the same space. On one hand he saw the (almost normal) figure of Rush, mitra form and green toned robes. On the other he saw something… much different. It was on this he focused until the strange double vision steadied, the first image seeming to fade into the second.

Decidedly inhuman, the new figure crouched at his side on fearsome draconian feet, lethal bronze claws razor sharp in the brown grass. Gleaming golden skin lacked any sign of scales in favour of tiny, softly glowing accents that trailed the contours of the limbs. Following it up, his view was briefly disrupted by green fabric and David realised that the figure still wore a loose outer robe in the same style as Rush.

It didn’t perturb David as he knew, somehow, that the two were one and the same.

Looking to his arm, David saw the mystery appendage was actually a tail. Long and sinuous, crystal bright colours glinted at intervals along its length, vaguely reminiscent of the Fallen’s in form. The rest of his body was quite similar to a Mitra aside from the sharp nails adorning his fingers, and the long Sovani-esque ears. The face was just Rush, no difference aside from the luminous viridian eyes that expressed both worry and relief.

Reassured by the familiar face, David found the new look didn’t really bother him, not that he felt up to screaming and pelting in the other direction anyway. Finding the situation quite surreal, David decided this was the strangest dream he’d ever had.

“So that’s what you meant before… you have a tail.”

Not seeming in any hurry to retrieve that tail, Rush just cocked his head, the question making his ears swivel to attention. It was such a Sovani movement that David found himself half expecting the other to sprout fur.

“ _Huh, so that’s why you didn’t seem freaked out. I’m guessing you saw what you expected, a Mitra._ _But you can see me now, like this? From the weird look on your face I guess you’re seeing the whole package and not just the new limb… I didn’t change, if that’s what you’re thinking… it feels like I’ve always been this, inside_. _I think that’s partly what M… Marina was so scared of…_ ”

At this his ears canted down, almost seeming to droop as Rush glanced away, gaze redirected onto the grass and heavy with sadness. Barely considering the implications of that sentence, which he would ponder long and hard over when awake, David tried to draw him out of those memories.

“Ah… thank you, Rush, for pulling me out of that muck. I shouldn’t have been standing at the edge like that…”

Tail twining more tightly around his wrist, the other looked up, a grudgingly acceptant expression crossing his face.

“ _Yeah, but it was kinda my fault too. I didn’t realise I could get across that easily, and I should’ve. Anyway, I didn’t remove that soul leeching Harpy just for you to drown in whatever she left behind. Try not to do it again, or at least give me some warning before you decide to jump in feet first. I don’t want to see you hurt again…you’re… precious… for more than one reason_.”

Struck by the sincerity in the other’s tone, David stilled his attempts to sit up.

“Precious… that’s an odd word to use… isn’t it…?”

One hand creeping up to rub his chin, Rush struck a meditative pose, considering how best to answer.

“ _Oh boy… you had to ask that, didn’t you…”_

Getting a rather curious, almost cautious expression on his face, Rush’s gaze drifter over to where Mitra hand and Remnant tail entwined.

“ _I don’t really know how to answer that in a way that won’t make you freak out... …Okay, bear with me here… I said precious because it fits what I mean better than special. Special makes it sound like you’re the only one I mean when I say that, and you’re not…”_

Then next sentence was mumbled so softly that David almost didn’t make it out, but it certainly caught his attention.

_“Any word’s better than ‘mine’ which makes me sound creepily possessive, even though it fits best…”_

The transformed teen continued before David could finish processing that sentence, which was probably a good thing.

_“Precious, cherished, beloved, they all kinda describe what I mean.  You’re ‘precious’ because of many things, just like Irina, Dad, Emmy and quite a few others. Firstly you’re my friend, you’ve helped me a lot in the past. You’ve been patient and kind even when I must’ve driven you halfway up the wall with frustration, and are doing your best to accept me now you know the truth… That would be the human reason behind it. The other is probably hard for you to understand, and the one I’m pretty sure you won’t like. You’re Marked as mine, possibly only less so than Irina, or Dad.”_

“Marked…? Explain.”

Here Rush’s ears folded flat at the ominously dark tone of voice David exhibited, and the Marquis in question felt the tail shiver slightly in his grasp.

“ _Even… even before all this happened, the Mark was still there. The Mark is… it’s accumulated energy, almost like a stain that people get from close prolonged contact with a single unbound (or partially bound in my case) Remnant. Before I got rid of Kellendros it was almost unnoticeable, but now with all this happening it’s gotten much more vivid.”_

Seeing the almost stony expression on David’s face, Rush hastened to reassure him, waving both hands in emphasis.

 _"Ack, Dave it’s not anything like a Binding, I swear it’s not harmful… I wouldn’t do that to you, not after Her. It just means that… that even if I was enthralled by a monster, I wouldn’t hurt you. I **couldn’t** , not now I’m closer to how I should be. It’s… a bit like the concept of family, but it’s so much more than that in ways I have no idea how to describe… You’re **mine** , I need… **have** to keep you safe… It’s like... like you’re brother, best friend and child all wrapped up in one and even that still doesn’t explain it well enough but it’s the best I can do…_ ”

Turning over this new information in his head, David really wasn’t sure what to think. The connotations behind Rush’s words were staggering. The level of implied emotion in those words was enough to make him balk.

He could also practically hear the weighty layers placed behind the word ‘ ** _mine_** ’ and the depths of meaning hidden within were enough to make anyone shy away from pressing too hard. He never was very good at addressing his own feelings, and he really didn’t want to misinterpret the many layers present in this case.

Shuddering abruptly, the moment was broken, David’s cold wet clothes reminding them both of the current situation. Tail pulled swiftly out of his grasp, David was startled when Rush stood, stepping over the supine Mitra before kneeling at his back. One hand pressed between his shoulder blades while the other settled in his hair, keeping him from turning.

“ _If you want me to get rid of the sludge you dragged with you, then you’d better stay still. I don’t like the thought of leaving it on you, just in case_.”

Awkward enough after that last conversation, David just nodded quickly.

“ _Alright, this might tingle slightly…”_

The hand on his spine curled, claw tips sharp pinpricks through cloth before they dragged down, and in their wake it felt like hot water was pouring over him, warm and bright and clean.

Immediately, the cloying cold was stripped away, leaving David wide eyed at the feeling, skin tingling.

“ _There, now I think it’s time to wake up before this gets any more awkward_.”

With barely enough time to register what was said, the hand on his back _pushed_ , and David woke up.


	12. Curiosity Kills the Cat, or Does it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a positive note, I really know where I’m going with this story now, and if my projections are right I’m looking at a good thirty to forty odd chapters... if not more. 

**_ Previously _ **

_“Alright, this might tingle slightly…”_

_The hand on his spine curled, claw tips sharp pinpricks through cloth before they dragged down, and in their wake it felt like hot water was pouring over him, warm and bright and clean._

_Immediately, the cloying cold was stripped away, leaving David wide eyed at the feeling, skin tingling._

_“There, now I think it’s time to wake up before this gets any more awkward.”_

_With barely enough time to register what was said, the hand on his back pushed, and David woke up._

 

* * *

 

It had only been a day since David woke from that most curious dream, and though some of the details had faded slightly he could still remember most of it. Finding he had been moved to his own suite sometime in the night he had hurried to Rush’s rooms, certain that he would be waking up also, if not already awake. The Marquis was sadly disappointed to see no real change, though Pagus reassured him that the teen had shown signs of stirring.

Now late evening, David paid one last visit to his curious friend before bed, stoking the fire and adding more wood. Turning to the bed he gave a small, sad smile.

“Oh Irina…”

The girl wasn’t in her normal chair, instead curled up on the covers beside Rush, sleeping soundly. Taking his usual spot in the plush wingback by the bed, David allowed himself a moment to indulge in something that had become a bit of a guilty pleasure lately. Pulling out a small hipflask and unscrewing the lid, David took a long swig, the warm burn of the whisky briefly dulling his senses.

In a repeat of the night before David fell asleep staring at the flames, body a boneless sprawl across the armchair.

* * *

 

Waking was a slow business, the gradual shedding of Morpheus’ cloak revealing the world in muted layers. Touch came first, with the softness of cotton wrapped goose down under his head and the warm weight resting at his side. Next was hearing, the ticking of the grandfather clock across the room harmonising with the relaxed breathing of the two people lying near him.

Sight wasn’t so quick to return, eyes heavy and gritty with sleep. Shapes seemed to blend together, colours strangely dim and washed out, lacking their usual vibrancy.

Suddenly aware of the overwhelming need to stretch he indulged the urge, slowly flexing stiff joints and muscles with his mind also stretching out in ways it hadn’t been able to before. Stilling at the odd sensation of : _emotions-as-colour_ : rippling under : _touch-that-wasn’t_ :, he reached just a little more, exploring.

A millisecond later he felt the world snap into place around him, sight, sound, scent and touch all blending together into a crystalline whole. Colours still looked a little faded, yet his other senses more than made up for it, adding new depth and meaning to everything around him.

Attention shifting to his side when he felt movement, the first thought that crossed his mind was ‘ _Oh…! Is that... Irina…?_ ’.The presence nestled within the body at his side was mesmerising, shimmering tourmaline pink flowing into cerise before fading into rose and back again, a million other shades in between. Hidden like a pearl at the centre of folded petals was a soft golden glow, pulsing in time with the heartbeat it supported.

 It was like looking past a reflection in water, to see what hid beneath and it took his breath away.

“ _Mine, my… sister… Irina…_ ”

Instincts of brother and protector both prompted him to hold her close, keep her safe, and the near miasma of : _fear/pain-of-being-alone_ : that hovered over her didn’t help matters. Knowing he couldn’t do anything other than be there for her, he shifted her under the duvet and like any young animal she subconsciously responded to the warmth, burrowing into his side in her sleep.

Watching her settle, his mind turned to the other person in the room, whose presence murmured : _weary-yet-hopeful, have-to-be-strong_ :. David was aglow with rich sapphire and sea-blue tones, the surface as smooth as a mirror and the depths turbulent as a stormy sea.

: _Friend/heart-brother/special/strong/independent_ : said old memories, while newer ones contradicted them, saying : _fragile/broken-yet-healing/lost-lonely-child, thoughts-poisoned-by-another_ :. In a way both impressions were right, for David was a very complex soul, with deep thoughts and even deeper feelings.

Fascinated by the interplay of colours Rush just lay there watching them, fighting a losing battle with the urge to reach out and touch, to try and soothe the hurt he could see...

* * *

 

The feeling of something moving through his hair woke David. Groaning at the dull ache of complaint from sleeping in such a position, the Marquis squinted up, early morning sunlight streaming through the window at his back. Freezing at the sight before him, David felt a bubble of emotion rise in his chest, making his eyes sting.

Rush was awake, tired eyes meeting his while the outstretched hand sifted through David’s hair again. The fact that the teen’s eyes were a solid forest green didn’t even register over the sheer relief of him finally waking. Almost afraid to find he was dreaming again, David sat up slowly, the hand on his hair falling away. Looking at Irina, he saw that she was still asleep and now under the quilt instead of on top, curled into her brother’s side with his arm looped around her shoulders, holding her close.

“Hey Dave…”

Despite Rush’s  voice being rough from disuse, David felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders by those two words. Unable to decide whether to smile or scold the teen for worrying him, David just settled for a quiet,

“It’s about time you woke up. I know you like your lie ins, but this is a bit much even for you.”

Picking up on the relief poorly hidden in his tone, Rush asked simply,

“How long?”

At the response “two weeks” Rush blinked rather owlishly, green slowly fading to streaked grey, before saying in a much louder voice, “Two weeks?!” That proved to be enough to stir Irina, who didn’t seem to realise what had happened.

Focusing on Rush’s face, the girl sat up slightly, staring at him like she couldn’t believe her eyes. After several long seconds of this, her breath started to hitch before she flung herself at her brother, breaking down in tears of relief. Unable to speak through the release of all that bottled up emotion she just clung to him, arms tight around his torso.

Taking it all in his stride, Rush just wrapped her up in a hug, muttering comforting nonsense while he rubbed her back.

Feeling distinctly like a third wheel, David stood up, intent on escaping while not actually _looking_ like he was escaping. He never knew quite what to do with crying people, especially women, so he thought discretion was the best course of action here. He didn’t get two steps before his coat was snagged and he was pulled to a stop.

Looking back, he saw Rush had sat up and grabbed the trailing edge of his coat while his other arm was still occupied, somewhat awkwardly, with Irina. The tugging was a clear nonverbal ‘stay’ and before David knew what he was doing, he was sitting cross legged on the bed facing the other two, completing their ragged little circle. Met with a warm smile and encouraging nod, the Marquis found himself… less willing to leave just yet.

Despite Rush’s attention being almost solely on Irina, David felt included, strangely warmed by a sense of ‘you belong here, don’t go’. If he had to compare it to anything it was almost like being given an invisible, intangible hug, the feeling of comfort and safety just wrapped around him like a quilt.

It was something he hadn’t felt in a long time, and even then the feeling with his mother had been subtly different.

Content in the near silence of Irina’s slowly subsiding tears, David didn’t think twice about shuffling closer when asked. The surprise came when an arm slung around his shoulders, pulling him into a, admittedly damp group hug.

Now, two weeks ago he might have flinched away, remained stiff and withdrawn at the show of affection. Not so now. Snippets of memories flitted through his mind as, after the briefest of hesitations, he leaned willingly into the embrace, just glad that Rush was awake to do it.

_“You’re my best friend…”_

_“I never meant to hurt you…”_

_“I’m so sorry…”_

_“It’s… a bit like the concept of family…”_

* * *

On Rush’s half it was only Irina’s sobering tears that kept a silly grin off his face, nearly giddy with relief at the measure of trust he could feel from David, such a big change from before his sleep. He knew better than to push his luck though and kept the hug light, not demanding anything of David other than his presence.

Irina by comparison was much simpler to handle, if only because the best reaction was the instinctive one.

Touch and tone of voice acted as reassurances of strength and protection, promising safety, comfort and companionship, a shield against her fears of being left alone and abandoned. The sounds he made weren’t even recognisable words, just murmured nonsense that never the less helped convey the message ‘ _I’m here, I won’t leave you._ ’

Their little bonding session was interrupted however, the door opening to allow Pagus entry for Rush’s morning check up. Pausing as the scene registered, the master healers face was split by a beaming smile.

“Rush! How wonderful to see you awake at last!”

Hopping over to the large mahogany dresser the qsiti deposited his medical bag, snapping open the clasp and removing several items. Moving more sedately over to the bed, he didn’t bat an eyelash at the reluctantly disentangling trio.

“Now Mr. Sykes, if you could just sit on the edge here, like so… good. I’ll just check your vitals to make sure your extended sleep hasn’t had any adverse effects and whatnot.”

The next several minutes was taken up by Pagus checking Rush’s blood pressure, temperature, reflexes and memory, all of which appeared normal.

“All good, yes, yes… One last thing before we get those bandages off, I’ll just check your pupil dilation…”

Picking up an open ended metal tube with a large bulblike protrusion at one end, he twisted the bulb, causing light to appear in the open end.

“Now, look straight ahead, not at me or the light, straight ahead… yes, that’s it...”

...

After finishing that last test, Pagus put his instruments away, muttering to himself quietly.

“Unusual green striations present in the cornea, something to keep an eye on certainly, no impact on health that I can see…”

The three Mitra, well, two Mitra and one disguised Remnant, all shifted uneasily when they heard that. Thankfully Pagus didn’t seem to notice, hopping almost eagerly back to the bed.

“Right then, let’s get those bandages off and see about those scars, shall we?”

Brows lifting slightly at the qsiti’s eagerness, Rush just shrugged and pulled his nightshirt up over his head, leaving himself naked except for his bandaged torso and…

“Why am I wearing a tent instead of my sleep shorts?”

The look of utter bemusement on her brother’s face set Irina off into a bout of rather hysterical sounding giggles, the girl still not quite recovered from earlier. Huffing, Pagus swatted gently at the hands lifting the excess material of the ‘tent’.

“It’s hardly a tent, it’s a pair of knickerbockers and before you say anything else I thought they’d be necessary. Those shorts you were wearing were too restrictive; you’d be surprised how quickly bed sores and blisters can form when you’re not moving around. Consider that ‘tent’ a precautionary measure as no one knew how long you would sleep. I also imagine you would rather have worn those than be in the nude.”

Reddening quickly at the conclusions he came to due to his changed attire and notably clean, fragrant self, Rush just covered his face with both hands, looking vaguely mortified. David, expression carefully schooled to conceal any trace of amusement, reached up and undid the end of the teen’s bandages. Unwinding them carefully, Pagus set them to one side, humming thoughtfully.

“Ah good, that looks much better than it did before. I dare say you should be back to your old self within the week, provided you don’t do anything too strenuous.”

Peering around from his position behind Rush, David could see what the qsiti meant. Most of the scars, which had been a red, irritated mess before had practically vanished, the occasional faint silvery mark the only evidence that they had ever existed. Sitting back he breathed an unheard sigh of relief, eyes wandering over the pale, unblemished skin of the teen’s back.

Wait… not so unblemished…

Focusing on what had caught his eye, David felt his heart speed up a fraction. There at the base of Rush’s spine, just above the line of his clothes was a faint tracery of gold lines, so fine as to be almost unnoticeable. Radiating out from a central yet still barely visible point, they meandered across the skin, thin as spider silk and gleaming in the sunlight. Truly that was the only reason he spotted them, being at just the right angle for the sun to pick them out.

Controlling his reaction to the discovery, he turned his attention back to the room at large to find Pagus cautioning Rush about not eating too much, too quickly.

“Even if you do feel hungry enough to eat a spiritlord, it won’t do you any good. Just bland foods for the next day or so, in small amounts as you’re liable to be sick if you stuff yourself.”

Turning to the door Pagus paused, looking back over his shoulder.

“Oh, and I reiterate, _no_ strenuous activity, at all. Any dizziness or chest pains and you find someone to send for me, straight away… A lot of people were very worried about you, young man… don’t give them cause to fret anymore.”

* * *

 

Leaving Rush to get dressed in peace, David went about arranging for breakfast to be served in a small sitting room just down the hall. Aside from the fact that he did _not_ want a repeat of the last time Rush encountered the kitchens, his friend was a bit unsteady on his feet.

As David had expected, Rush found it exceedingly difficult to follow Pagus’s instructions once the food was actually in front of him. He ended up practically inhaling five bowls of lentil soup and three helpings of scrambled eggs on toast.

The only reason he didn’t clear the table was because of Irina ferociously guarding what was left for her own breakfast. David quite wisely had only ordered a bowl of sliced fruit, which he took great pains not to put down lest it fall victim to the elder Sykes’ appetite.

Afterwards, David suggested that they sojourn to the terrace garden for some fresh air, an entrance to which was close by. The walk, while short was more than enough for Rush, whose legs were being decidedly rebellious and threatened to give out at least once on the way there.

Finally settling for a spot under the boughs of a big old apricot tree, its branches laden with ripe fruit, Rush eased down onto the grass and stretched out his legs.

“Uh, I didn’t realise how stuffy my room was ‘til now. Outside feels so much better, though I wish my legs didn’t feel like limp noodles.”

David, who was leaning against the trunk beside him just shook his head.

“I’m just glad there isn’t anything worse than weak legs. We were all very worried that you had been seriously hurt that night...”

He broke off there, seeing the ill concealed sorrow on Irina’s face and the clenched fists partly concealed in her skirt. Rush gave a little wan smile, disentangled one of her hands and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“Really, I’m fine now, you don’t need to worry anymore. You heard Pagus, I just need to take it easy for a few days.”

David just sighed at that.

“Considering recent events, I’ll honestly be surprised if you get that rest...”

* * *

 

Torgal was, he freely admitted to himself, in a peculiar mood at the moment. Like the rest of the castle he should have been happy, for young Rush Sykes had finally awakened from his long slumber. Yet he was not, for reasons he couldn’t quite explain. At least, he couldn’t explain it to anyone else save another Sovani. For only a Sovani would understand when he said something about that boy now felt off.

When he first met the young Mitra he had seemed perfectly normal, if a bit simple minded to be wielding the power of that Remnant talisman. Lord David had then taken a shine to him, which was odd but not entirely unexpected, and he attributed it to the aforementioned talisman.

As the two progressed from acquaintances to genuine friends the Sovani had grown to respect the boy’s fighting prowess, which had developed remarkably over such a short span of time. Close enough to a year had passed now without any hint of strangeness aside from the disquieting interest shown by that murderous creature, the Conqueror.

Not a month ago however all that changed, the boy’s presence provoking an entirely new reaction out of the normally stoic Sovani. He found he no longer felt comfortable around Rush, something he couldn’t quite name making his hackles rise, and yet he could find no physical changes to explain it, save for a slightly differing scent.

Due to David’s continued vigil over the comatose boy the past two weeks, Torgal couldn’t help but notice how that smell hung around his Lord, scenting the air with hot metal like a blacksmiths forge. Irina Sykes, when she emerged from her brothers room positively reeked of it, though perhaps ‘reeked’ was too strong a word.

In truth it was fairly weak, yet it seemed to pervade everything, and made the Sovani’s nose itch unpleasantly. Now that the boy was awake after his long sleep the feeling was even worse.

Briefly seeing Rush with his sister and Lord David heading to the gardens had provoked an almost territorial aggression, claws itching to _drive away the threat to his cub,_ however illogical the thought was.

Because of this unacceptable slip in emotional responses the felid had sequestered himself in his office, looking through various reports from the stationed guards. The reports consisted mostly of routine things, like the Warrior’s Arms bartender being cautioned against flirting with the on duty guard, _again_ , and other minor disturbances usually involving one or more of Rush’s hired help.

Working well into mid afternoon Torgal came to one of the last reports, an Athlumian Captain querying the unregistered absence or reassignment of not two but four Celapaleian soldiers assigned to guard the Gae Bolgs access tunnel.

Rather than delegate the task to a lower ranked commanding officer or lieutenant as was normal procedure, Torgal decided he’d see to this himself.

* * *

Forty minutes later and a full report from the Captain overseeing the Celapaleian guard postings, Torgal was sure something was amiss. The disappearances themselves were highly suspect and the Sovani was wondering if some monsters hadn’t found a hidden route into the access tunnel via the extensive cave system.

Rather than worry Lord David needlessly he decided to scout the situation on his own. Prowling into the crystal lit dimness of the tunnel he strained his senses, ears flicking back and forth in the hope of catching any sound. Aside from the soft hiss of his breathing there was nothing, his footsteps totally silent on the bare rock.

Eventually passing the second set of doors, which bore no signs that the guards had been forcibly removed, he froze, focused intently on the muted humming coming from the darkness beyond. The noise was echoing slightly, but it was definitely growing louder. Crouching behind the broad base of a broken topped stalagmite, he watched as a soft rippling glow grew steadily brighter the closer the noise got.

Torgal readied himself for what he thought would be some manner of bioluminescent monster. Intent on the approaching light he was understandably shocked when the gleaming barrel of the Gae Bolg slid menacingly out of the shadows. Leaping to his feet he planted himself in front of the advancing Remnant, which slowed to a stop on a cushion of light and air.

Glaring into the darkness beyond the Remnant, Torgal readied his axes.

“Show yourselves in the name of Lord David! If you wish to take this Remnant you will not have an easy fight ahead of you, that I can promise.”

Silence was the only reply, save for the soft hum of the floating cannon.

“Cowards, you will not face me then? So be it.”

Before Torgal could stride past the Remnant to search for the would-be thieves, the air around him shivered, making his fur stand on end. Shifting his gaze more towards the Gae Bolg, he backed up slightly, aware suddenly of the almost palpable aura the Remnant was exuding.

Breaking the silence a moment later was a whispery, eerie chuckle which echoed all around him, making the source impossible to pinpoint. The sheer malevolence in that one sound was enough to make even the Sovani general uneasy. Knowing that something was very wrong with this scenario, Torgal edged closer to the Remnant’s small pool of light, wary of the darkness beyond it.

Jerking back as another hideously twisted chuckle floated through the air, closer than the first, he felt the Remnant’s smooth metal through his uniform’s back. He wasn’t prepared for the hands that settled on his shoulders like red hot iron clamps, or the voice that whispered almost seductively in his ear.

“Hello kitty cat... mm, you smell good today.”

Frozen, unable to even twitch an ear in response, the Sovani could only listen and feel those burning hands sear into him, hot breath uncomfortably warm on his face.

“Hmm, what to do with you... I know! Let’s play a game... It’s called the imp and the rabir. Ah I see you know it, good... then you know what to do. Then I’ll give you a ten second head start and a little motivation... Run fast kitty cat and make this fun, because if I catch you... _I won’t just kill you_...”

With those parting words the scorching presence vanished, letting the Sovani stagger away from the Remnant. Half a second’s glance at the now spinning barrel was all the motivation Torgal needed to sprint for the exit, recognising all too well the firing sequence for the huge cannon...


End file.
